Feeling You
by cutecrazyice
Summary: It started with a kiss...a touch...a stroke. Now the lines are blurred, and the borders are being crossed - and nothing has ever been more delicious. KakaSaku
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-**  
**

It would have been the most perfect scenario, had the situation not been so delicate. There he was, her former teacher, the ever-so-elusive Hatake Kakashi; head all but plowed in his crushed pillow, body smashed all over the bed. And the best thing was, he was asleep.

And his mask was all but begging to be removed.

Yes, it would have been a perfect scenario indeed. Here she was, Haruno Sakura, an innocent girl who happened to just stop by at her former teacher's apartment, to relay a message to him. She had knocked; he had not answered. And so, she had let herself in, staring for a full minute at the obviously out-of-this-world sleeping man before remembering her purpose there and taking a step closer, until she was standing right beside his bed. Sakura quietly stared some more at the man. His vest was off, and the sheets were tangled around his trouser-clad legs. His silver hair was disheveled, and he was breathing regular, even breaths. Yep—definitely shut out from the world. Floating in dreamland, most probably.

She wanted nothing more than to reach out, and slowly peel that annoying, mysterious little mask away. Her fingers practically itched at the thought of doing so. Usually, her sense of honor got in the way, before she could even have the courage to do such a thing—she knew it was a bit like cheating, and no matter what, she vowed she would choke on her own saliva than do something as deceiving as that (a.k.a. taking the upper hand by removing the mask right now while the man was unaware and looking unashamedly at the face of the said man, therefore winning her long-standing bet against Naruto, and even Sasuke).

But right now, this morning, she was too irritated to even care if that so-called honor was actually worth it, especially since she _knew_ Naruto would have won the bet one minute ago, had he been the one asked to deliver the message. Besides…all was fair when it came to betting games, right?

Right.

Fingers anticipating, Sakura lifted a hand, closer and closer to his face.

She touched the cloth, pausing. Hesitating.

And gasped, when his hand suddenly came to life and gripped hers.

In one breath—hell, it was probably even less than one breath—she was flipped over, and sent on her back to the bed with a muffled thump. With him on top of her, eyes still closed.

He murmured, something unintelligible.

And suddenly, before she could so much as react, his masked mouth was suddenly on her ear…her cheek…her mouth.

And his hands were everywhere.

The usual Sakura would have punched him in the jaw then and there, not caring that he was her former mentor, and should be respected even when they were both already grown up (well, she was nineteen, and she supposed that was more than grown up). The usual Sakura would have bitten his lips and his mouth, until he bled to death—then she would have proceeded to punch him raw, until she ensured that he _did_ bleed to death faster. But she did none of those things.

She couldn't.

Instead she lay still, unable to comprehend what was happening. Unable to even move, and think things through. She could feel his lips through the mask, and they were soft, and kissing her so…thoroughly. Almost hungrily. His body was hard, and almost pinning her to the spot—she was strong, yes, but at the moment…she was too shocked to even consider doing anything. Too…weak. Her own body was going soft, as he continued what he was doing. Slowly, inch by desperate inch, she could feel her insides heating up, all because of his mouth, and those hands—wicked, strong hands. They—the hands—were sliding all over her skin, as if they belonged there. Her mind was dimming. Through her rumbling head, only one sensation dominated: the sensation to answer, and let this delicious encounter continue.

Delicious?

Continue?

_What the hell was the matter with her?_

She was under her ex-teacher, for crying out loud. Who was years older than her. Who was obviously drunk last night, given the faint smell of alcohol on his breath—heck, the aroma of it on his exposed neck. And who, she was pretty sure, had mistaken her for someone else.

Which would explain why he was ravishing her like there was no tomorrow.

So why the hell wasn't she protesting?

And darn it—why could she hear herself moaning?

Trying to desperately hold on to whatever sanity there was left in her mind, she lifted a hand again to put on his shoulder and stop him from doing…what he was doing. It was the right thing to do, right? What they were doing was…forbidden. Fisting a hand, she held on to his shirt, about to push him away. Determined to.

She stopped, when she felt his mask slip away. Felt his lips, bare now, roam back to her mouth, lazily. Softly.

Wonderfully.

Her breath hitched, and her eyes closed. Her grip on his shirt loosened.

Oh. My. Kami.

What on earth was happening?

She hadn't realized this, but she was actually responding now, her own mouth moving. Seeking. Her hands reached up, touching his shoulder, sliding slowly, slowly…up to his neck. Tracing soft little circles there. She heard a groan, not sure whether it was from her, or from him. Did it even matter? Her hands continued sliding up, up…

"I don't…Kakash…" she murmured, dazed out of her mind.

Abruptly, the mouth harassing her own stopped, and disentangled. The hard body disappeared, taking the heat and warmth with it. The bed moved. Before she could comprehend what was happening again, or even open her eyes, a voice came.

Rough and shocked and almost accusing.

"Sakura—what the hell do you think you're doing?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_a/n: My very first fanfic! This is just the first chapter, I'll have lots more coming soon...what do you think so far?_

_Please be nice. :D_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kakashi let his hands run over the skin that was currently under him. It was soft as satin, and very, very silky to the touch. It was warm, and warming up more as he let his fingers caress.

He let his mouth linger on the unknown lips, hungry for the taste. He couldn't taste it that much, because as usual, his mask was in the way. He wondered if removing the mask would allow him to taste more of her, whoever this wonderful woman was—this lucky, sensual individual under him.

Was this for real, or was he hallucinating after such a drunken bout last night?

Impatiently, he twisted his mask away, letting his mouth fall back on the softness, on the taste. Strawberries, and heat—he almost groaned at the intoxicating combination. He felt a moan come from her, felt her hand slide on his own skin. Heard her sigh.

"I don't…Kakash…"

He froze. And felt his heart drop to his stomach with a loud thud.

He'd recognize that voice _anywhere._

"Sakura—what the hell do you think you're doing?"

He was off her in a flash, feeling as if he had been struck by a huge boulder, or Naruto's rasengan. Or worse—punched repeatedly by the ex-student that he'd been grappling in abandon just a few seconds earlier.

Oh, boy.

Kakashi stared at her, dumbfounded. Sakura stared back, her green eyes dark and swirling with emotions. Her mouth was slightly open, and swollen. Her dress was almost open, exposing the skin tinged almost as pink as her freely-cascading hair.

His fingers itched, almost instantly. He cursed himself inwardly.

The best defense was offense.

"I said what the hell are you doing, Sakura?"

She blinked, and slid off the bed. Her dress rustled, making him glance back down at a slightly exposed leg.

Creamy, delicious-looking—

He viciously slammed the thought away.

She continued staring at him.

"You have no scars."

What?

"What?"

"No scars at all."

He realized she was talking about his face. With another inward curse, he immediately slid his mask back in place, and tried to stare her down.

"You are off the subject. Sakura, I'm asking once more. What are you trying to pull off, attempting to seduce me like that?"

Her eyes widened, and her head all but snapped back. Though he was staring her down, he decided to slide off the bed (he'd been on the far end), in case she went into another one of her infamous temper tantrums.

Which she did.

Almost predictably, Sakura glared daggers at him.

"What did you say?"

Kakashi merely raised an eyebrow.

"I believe you heard me the first time."

"Why—you—that's—I—"

"Sakura, if you're trying to seduce me again by stuttering…"

"It was you who pinned me down and kissed me senseless, you baboon!" she blurted out furiously, charging closer. She stopped in front of him, chin up and looking defiant. Kakashi didn't back off. Instead, he stepped—a tad bit—closer.

"You didn't protest," he replied softly.

Their faces were close now, a few mere inches. Any more and they would already be…as before. The nearness and the words made her blush, and instantly back off. Slightly.

She harrumphed and tried to glare harder.

"I was caught off guard," she admitted, folding her arms defensively. "I was irritated and sleepy and—_I really should just punch you right now!_"

But she didn't move closer. He almost sighed in relief at that.

"It wasn't my fault, Sakura. I didn't know…I thought I was dreaming, alright?"

She remained silent, and instead stalked off his bedroom and into his living room. She sat on the couch glumly. He hated seeing her glum. Cautiously, he followed her, and tried to cheer her up.

"Hey, I also never said it was your fault," he intoned lightly. "Let's just be thankful it didn't …progress further, okay?" He tried a laugh.

"...okay."

"And I'm sure it only happened because you couldn't resist my charms."

He simply sidestepped the pillow whizzing his way. She was so predictable.

"Kidding, Sakura." He chuckled. "Can't you take a joke?"

"You're an idiot!"

"Mou…you usually call your teachers idiots?"

"No! It's reserved only for you!"

"I'm flattered." Unable to resist, he gave an eye crinkle. She merely continued glaring, sending off waves of energetic frustration.

"You are impossible, Kakashi," she grumbled.

Well. At least their minds were elsewhere now. He knew that was what counted. Speaking of which…

"So, if not to seduce me…what really brings you here?"

Sakura looked at him almost blankly. Then, as if snapping out of a trance, her eyes widened. She jumped out of the couch, a hand clapping on her mouth.

"Oh! Oh, Kami, I forgot—Tsunade-sama asked me to tell you to come into her office at once! It's supposedly urgent, and—" she groaned, "damn it, we wasted minutes!" She shook her head, dismayed. Then she stared at him again, eyes narrowing. "But then again…you'd still probably go there late, I presume?"

He shrugged. It seemed she knew him well enough, too.

"You presumed right."

She sighed, rolling her eyes. "You are such a man."

The words made Kakashi raise an eyebrow. "Really?"

Sakura must have realized how it sounded, because she turned a shade of pink again. He thought it looked good on her—

He sighed.

And he really must _stop_ thinking such thoughts.

"I didn't…er, mean it that way. I…just…oh, never mind!" she stuttered again.

Unable to help himself, he stepped closer.

"Am I making you stutter, Sakura?" he asked, voice low.

Her head snapped up, her cheeks going from pink to red. "No!" she snapped. "It's—I—it's not—"

"I _am_ making you stutter, aren't I?"

"In your dreams!" she practically shouted. Her eyes were darting everywhere.

Testing the waters, Kakashi stepped closer still.

Her eyes immediately darted back to him.

"I have to go!" she blurted out, deliberately taking a step back. "I still have hospital duties and—and—training later and...you better not be too late or shishou would be mad and I'd be in trouble!"

And, before he could comment, or even take another step closer, she was off, bolting through the door as quick as lightning and slamming it in the process.

The walls shook a bit, but that was expected.

He chuckled. Kakashi didn't know why, but the action amused him. Come to think of it, she was always amusing when she was flustered. Which she was before she left in such a hurry.

He looked around, and saw that at least he hadn't thrown stuff around the room when he'd been drunk last night. He knew how much of a neat freak Sakura was—she'd practically be in his throat for living in such a messy state.

_Not that she wasn't very nearly by your throat earlier, if only you'd let the encounter continue—_

"Oh, lay off it, birdbrain," he grumbled into his mind, which was processing some very…erm, distracting visuals about what exactly she could have been doing with his throat if things had gone on. He imagined pounding the stark clear images away, crushing them into mere dust.

For-bid-den.

Forbidden!

He should _not_ even consider going there.

No. Freaking. Way.

Kakashi's head turned towards the open bedroom, and the bed. He shook his head. If he went there, he would smell her. And hear her, and...imagine her. _Not_ a good thing. He was still sleepy, but really…what was a man to do?

With a sigh, he went to the bathroom, intent on a cold, cold shower. Then, after that, a rummaging through his closet was in order.

Looks like it was time to change the sheets.

He'd be damned if he'd sleep on the couch tonight.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_a/n: Well, here's chapter two, folks! Please review? :)_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It was a long, long week after Sakura had had the most embarrassing encounter of her entire life.

An entire week where she had spent most days, and even most nights, at the hospital, healing and attending to patients until she was dead on her feet.

She was _not_ doing it to avoid him.

It was her _job._

And now, she was dead tired. And all she wanted was to crash her head into her pillows, and snore her worries and tiredness away. Sleep a dreamless, fitful sleep. Rest.

Too bad someone had other ideas.

"Come on, Forehead! It's a Saturday night and you've got a day off tomorrow—and Kami, I haven't seen you in _days_. You've been so stuck in that stupid hospital that I'm afraid you're going to turn into a prude any second now."

She was weary, but she'd be damned if anyone called her that. Sakura glared at Ino, almost viciously.

"I am _not_ a prude. And the hospital is not stupid. It's a wonderful job and it helps save people's lives."

"Right. Whatever. Yada, yada, yada. Now that you're done, can you at least pretend to have a life and enjoy the night? With me?"

"I'd rather sleep, thank you very much," Sakura replied dryly, trying not to yawn. "I'm tired, Ino. Can't we do this next time?"

Ino flipped her silky blond hair and pouted beautifully.

"You don't wanna hang out with me, do you?"

"It isn't that, Pig, it's just—"

"Ha! I knew it! You sooo hate hanging out with me! You're even insulting me!"

"Ino—"

"And here I thought we were friends." Ino's lower lip trembled, her eyes looking sad.

Sakura knew, oh, she knew, it was a trick. Oh, her best friend was _so _manipulative. But the girl was just so irresistible and cute and convincing…what the hell could any friend do?

Resigned, cursing herself for being such a pushover, Sakura finally nodded.

"Okay," she grumbled, folding her arms. "Fine. I'll go with you. Happy?"

The sad look vanished and the trembling lip stopped. In an instant, she found herself hugged tightly, a triumphant squeal coming up in the air.

"Oh, thank you! I swear we're gonna have so much fun!"

"Whatever." With a chuckle, Sakura rolled her eyes. Typical Ino. Always getting her way.

Not that Sakura minded. Overmuch.

"Now, I brought a dress for you. You can change at my house because it's nearer."

Sakura immediately looked down at her outfit. It was green, light green, one of her favorite colors at the moment. And it certainly looked decent enough…

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

Ino eyed her in distaste, raising an eyebrow in effect. "Are you kidding? That's a nurse's outfit—sooo not appropriate for a good night out. And you won't be able to pick up boys—"

"Ino! I am not going out with you just to pick out boys—"

"Fine," Ino interrupted. "Men, then."

"Ino!"

"Alright, _fine_. Goodness, can't you take a joke? I was kidding, girl!"

The last few words stopped Sakura just as she was about to open her mouth. Why did they sound so familiar?

_Because they _have _been uttered before, that's why._

Oh, right. Kakashi. That stupid incident.

That kiss…

That mouth…

That face…

Those hands...

_Stop it!_

Annoyed, and a bit horrified at where her thoughts were going, Sakura shook her head. She was _not_ gonna think about that. No.

No!

_Put it at the back of your mind, girl._

"Forehead?"

"Okay, fine. I'll wear your stupid outfit. But you'd better make sure it isn't too revealing, Pig."

Another loud squeal was given, followed by the loudmouthed blond beauty dragging her arm with a constant chatter of how this was gonna be so exciting, yada, yada, yada. With a weary sigh, Sakura resignedly let herself get dragged, knowing there was nothing she could do to stop such a persistent bundle of energy (a.k.a. female version of Mr. Im-Gonna-Be-Future-Hokage himself). Might as well go willingly.

Besides, it might just be what she needed to take her mind off…other things.

Yup. Worth a shot.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kakashi was bored. It was ten o'clock in the evening, and all Genma seemed to want to talk about was how he got laid—again—by some beautiful woman he had met at some random village. Not that Kakashi listened overmuch, or even cared about the details. Frankly, it was kinda irritating.

And there was no Icha-Icha to distract him this time.

He'd brought one, of course. He always did. But he'd read this volume fifty times now, the last being yesterday. Surely any normal person would get tired of reading it again, right?

And it certainly didn't help that every visual on the book only enhanced his imagination about a certain…er, someone.

To think he was trying to forget it for a week now.

Disgusted with himself, Kakashi took a swig of his sake and tried to erase his mind of every thought there was. Time to relax now.

He deserved it, anyway, after such a tiring surveillance—not to mention fruitless—mission.

Now, if only Genma would shut up a bit.

"You should see her tits, man—they were so round and perky that I could hardly get them to fit in my hands! And the mouth—whew! It was so fucking talented, she practically licked every inch of my skin…"

"Hmm."

"And the moans—they were so musical that them alone had me in multiple orgasms before I could control myself…"

Frowning, Kakashi could visualize, all too clearly, someone else's moans. He took another swig of sake, gritting his teeth and trying very hard to tune out the idiot describing his adventures in detail beside him.

_Control yourself, man._

Ha. Easy to say, hard to do.

But he _was_ trying, wasn't he?

That had to count for something.

"Oh, wow—now there's another beauty I would like to try out…the Yamanaka hottie…"

Kakashi rolled his eyes, ignoring the man. Knowing Genma, he would probably hit on anyone in the bar with a skirt and breasts before midnight got around.

"Well, make that two beauties. Damn—that second girl's even hotter! Fine piece of ass, I might say. Such a sexy…wait. Isn't that your ex-student, Kakashi?"

Alarmed, Kakashi whipped his head up, vowing to give Genma a piece of his mind for talking about said ex-student that way.

Then he saw her.

And he nearly, very nearly choked on his own drink.

She was wearing nothing but a little black dress—a short one. A tight one. Halter, with little strings tied at the neck. Hair swept up, exposing said neck. Exposing throat. Skirt up to thighs, accentuating high heels and…legs. Endless legs. Creamy, delicious—

She turned around, exposing bared back. Creamy back. Waiting to be touched.

His mouth watered at the mere sight.

"Damn, Kakashi. Your little student has certainly grown up now. My, my…a blossom indeed."

Right.

A blossom. A freaking sexy one.

Why the hell hadn't he noticed this before?

And why, oh _why_ were his fingers suddenly itching again?

"I can't believe this—tonight's my lucky night," Genma intoned, almost chuckling. "Looks like we're in for some fun."

Silently, Kakashi inwardly sighed. Inwardly groaned. Inwardly cursed himself and the whole damn world.

Great.

Looks like he was going to have to kill the idiot beside him now.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_a/n: Well, here it is, guys…chapter 3! Thanks to those who previously commented, and hope you all drop in and comment again!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"You are so dead, Ino."

"What the hell did I do this time, Forehead?"

"This dress is too short."

And it was—at least, in Sakura's opinion. She felt a little bit too exposed in both the upper and lower areas, and tugging didn't exactly help matters. When she tugged down, her cleavage showed. Up, and her thighs were out for all the world to see.

Yep. Ino was _so_ dead.

She glared at said girl to emphasize her point. Said girl merely giggled in amusement.

"Would you quit fidgeting, Forehead? The dress is not too short. You look great, okay? Now, what _I _am wearing..._this_ is the short one."

Well, she had a point. Ino was wearing an eggplant-colored dress with no straps, and a side slit almost up to her butt—if Sakura had to wear something like that, she would probably hyperventilate from embarrassment. Still, Ino managed to pull it off. Sakura had to admit her friend looked gorgeous, and was sure men would soon be dropping like flies to get her attention as the night wore on.

Nothing new, really. It would probably be amusing to see how the girl handled and juggled them all this time.

"There's an empty table at the far corner, Pig. Let's take it."

"What? It's too far! We won't get noticed that way."

"But there are no more tables. And the long bar's occupied."

"Leave it to me, sweetie. Come on, let's get some drinks."

Sakura rolled her eyes, but opted to comply. The place—a civilian's and ninja's night hangout—was a bit crowded tonight, so it took the two girls quite a while to navigate their way to the long table where the bartender was stationed. There was only one stool left.

"I told you it was full."

Ino ignored Sakura, and immediately turned to the man sitting beside the empty stool. Then she turned on the charm.

"Hello, mister. My friend and I here were wondering if you could help us get some seats around this place. It's crowded, and we're really helpless, and we just got back from a long mission, and...whew! It's quite hot in here!"

The blond-haired beauty flipped her hair, fanning herself for effect.

The man took one look at her, and immediately turned a healthy red in the cheeks. In five seconds flat, Sakura had to suppress a giggle as they were gallantly offered the stool, and given what could be considered puppy-dog looks. Soon, they were already seated comfortably.

"Looks like we don't need the table, eh?" Ino gloated with a triumphant smirk. Sakura raised an eyebrow, but she couldn't stop the giggle from coming out. "Right. Nice work, bravo—poor man, though."

"Oh, he'll get over it," Ino replied airily. She waved the bartender closer with a flick of her hand. The bartender, a man that looked to be in his late twenties, flashed both of them a huge grin.

"And what can I get you, ladies?" he asked, voice every bit as flirty as Ino's. Ino brightened, immediately flashing her dazzling smile back.

"I'll have a glass of sake—and a bloody mary," she replied, batting her lashes. The bartender winked, then turned to Sakura.

"And what about you, miss?" The guy's voice turned husky.

"Just mango juice, please," Sakura said politely.

"Forehead, you have got to be kidding me."

"What?"

Ino rolled her eyes again. She'd been doing it countless times now that Sakura lost track already. Turning to the bartender, she batted her lashes again and gave him an apologetic look. " She's kidding. She wants you to give her sex on the beach."

"Ino-Pig!"

"It's a _drink_, Forehead—_jeez!_ And would you please stop calling me Pig so damn loud? I have a reputation, you know."

Oh. A drink. How the heck was she supposed to know that? And Kami, who named such a drink that way, anyway?

Yep. The world was really getting weirder and weirder.

The bartender winked at her, then went off to fetch their orders.

"Sorry," Sakura mumbled, a bit embarrassed. "I thought you were asking him to...you know...er, have sex with me."

There was a giggle from the blond. "You idiot! Hahaha! But then again...that wouldn't be so bad, right? I mean, he's pretty hot. And hell, he was practically salivating all over you..."

"Ino..."

"Well, it's true! You should be flattered that the guy wants to get in your panties—"

"Ino..."

"—or are you even wearing panties right now? You're wearing a thong, right? Man! That guy would really want you more—"

"Ino..."

"—speaking of which, how was the ANBU physical exam yesterday? How many wanted you? Did they get hard and aroused when you touched their cocks and—"

"Ino! Shut up!" Okay, she was horrified now. The girl was unbelievably vulgar! Sakura blushed furiously, not knowing exactly how to respond.

The truth was, some guys did get hard yesterday—and it wasn't a very pleasant experience, because really, all she did was examine them...there.

The perverts.

"Alright, I'll shut up! Kami! You really are turning into a prude, you know that?"

"I am not!"

"Fine, whatever."

The blond rolled her eyes again. As if on cue, the bartender returned with their drinks, giving Sakura a lingering look in the process. Ino giggled. The guy looked like he was about to open his mouth—but another bartender called on him to hurry up.

With a disappointed sigh, he went on.

"Aww, too bad. He really had the hots for you."

"Whatever. Shut up, Ino."

"Fine. Killjoy."

And with that, Ino turned to the guy sitting on her right and turned on the charm again.

Sheesh.

With a sigh, Sakura opted to brood (a habit she picked up from Sasuke, whenever she felt weary) and took a sip of her orange-colored drink. She was surprised to find that it actually tasted good. Was that why it was called that? Because they were similarly good or something like that?

She had no idea. She'd never done it yet...well, okay, almost with Sasuke—but they had both been drunk, and it hadn't continued because they both fell asleep while kissing, and when they woke up in the morning Sasuke seemed a bit horrified that they ended up not talking about it at all anymore. Maybe it was for the best. It wasn't like she was salivating over the Uchiha anymore.

Nope. Been there, done that. She'd rather kiss Lee than ever get a crush on the still-too-much-of-an-ice-cube man. Yep.

_You go, girl! Girl power!_

She smiled at the thought.

But about the sex part...well, she couldn't deny that she was curious. Her best friend had done it lots of times already—and she said it was a great experience, almost every single time. Would Sakura's own experience be great, too?

Suddenly an image came to her mind, without her permission. It consisted of long hands, big hands, smoothing and caressing her all over, breaths intertwined...then, mouth touching every inch of her skin, as if not getting nearly enough...a voice murmuring, groaning out her name, and whispering to her exactly where he's going to touch next...a powerful body, pressing against hers, almost relentlessly...that body thrusting, riding hers, carrying her into oblivion and desperate pleasure...silver hair...

"Sakura-chan! You're here!"

Her head snapped up in alarm, and her eyes widened in shock. Was she thinking what she was actually just _thinking?_

Groaning. Thrusting. Silver hair.

Oh. My. Kami.

Before she could so much as turn horrified or squeak in mortification—hell, or even collapse right then and there—she was suddenly enveloped in a crushing bear hug by an orange blur and a breath that smelled familiarly like ramen.

She laughed, and hugged him back.

"Naruto!" Normally, when the male loudmouth hugged her so tight, she would pummel him to the ground right then and there. But tonight was an exception because, really, she was just so happy to see him. The guy had been on a mission for more than a month now, and was not supposed to be back until at least next week.

"I missed you, Sakura-chan! You look great tonight!" Naruto bellowed (the second sentence to which Sakura blushed) once he had finally released her from his grip. He gave an ear-to-ear grin, which Sakura returned. He then turned to Ino, who was giving Sakura a weird look.

Uh-oh.

"Ino-Pig! Hello to you, too!"

"Do not call me that, you idiot!"

Ino scowled—and Sakura almost sighed out loud in relief at the fortunate distraction. Trying to muffle a laugh, she eyed the two, as the blond female glared daggers, while the blond male continued looking oblivious. Instead, he scratched his head and grinned some more.

"Ahaha, Ino, it just sounds so funny!"

"Well," Ino snapped, "At least it's better than dobe!"

"I am not dead last, why do you guys keep calling me that!"

"I never called you that, Naruto," Sakura put in, amused. Ino turned her glare towards Sakura and folded her arms in a huff.

"You guys are a riot. Really," she muttered sarcastically. Naruto, the poor guy, still seemed uncomprehending, as he opted to laugh merrily. He then turned to Sakura again.

"Neh, Sakura-chan, I haven't seen the teme and Sai yet, and I still have to go to the old hag tomorrow...Baa-chan said she had a few things to say to me...she was so drunk when I went to the tower now that I wasn't really sure if she would even remember it tomorrow..."

"Well, Naruto, even if she meant it or not, you still have to go tomorrow. You know shishou...she would pound you to the ground if she did remember and you did not bother showing up."

"Well, okay, but that's really troublesome—hey, look! There's Kakashi! And Genma! KAKASHI! I'm back!"

Sakura yelped as she was dragged, so surprised that she could not utter a single protest. No—anywhere but near him! _Him!_ Kami, was the world being cruel? Was she being punished for something she did in the past? Some stupid, idiotic thing that she should have repented? He was her sensei, and she was sure that for him, she was nothing but an old student who was just a cute kid—or something to that effect. Kami, she must not have such thoughts about him, she must not—

Before she knew it, she was suddenly plopped down on a bench, facing a table full of sake bottles, and a warm something—wait, someone—near her right.

And oh, boy, she _knew_ without even looking who it was right away.

Darn. It.

"Hello, Naruto. Nice to have you back...hello, Sakura."

Trying not to blush again, especially at the way the voice sounded so husky—it reminded her of...er, certain best-forgotten images—Sakura looked up, and gave him what she hoped was a passably cheerful smile.

"Hello, Kakashi."

"Sakura-chan, I'll be right back. I forgot to order drinks for us."

And Naruto was off, leaving her to wallow in her own self-dilemna.

Crap, crap, crap!

"So how have you been, Sakura?"

"I've been good! I've been, er...feeling really good!" she chirped.

_Especially when I was imagining you touching—_

Do not think about that!

"My, my, Sakura...you're certainly looking lovely tonight."

Sakura gratefully turned to Genma—another distraction—a small flush on her face. The senbon-sucking ninja was eyeing her appreciatively, an approving look on his face.

"Thank you, Genma. Er...how was your last mission?"

He smirked, looking amused, brown eyes twinkling. "Well, it had its...moments. _Great _moments, actually—but too bad I missed the physical exam yesterday. I just got back this morning, you see. That would have been so...satisfying. For my health. Your...touch is very healing."

Okay, his innuendos were just too much. Sakura wanted to roll her eyes, but refrained herself from doing so. Genma continued chatting—more like _flirting—_while Sakura listened politely. She laughed. She smiled. She nodded her head a few times, to show that she was listening. He was pretty funny and charming, she had to admit.

And then Kakashi shifted beside her, causing their bodies to bump side-by-side, and her to feel more heat from his body. Causing her to forget all about Genma, or what he was talking about, and be bombarded with the earlier images again in more graphic detail.

She nearly, very nearly moaned—in horror. In annoyance.

In pleasure.

She was going to _kill_ Naruto for bringing her here, in this stupid table. Oh, he was so going to die.

Cursing the innocent blond inwardly, she rubbed her neck to ease the tension that was slowly creeping its way there. She kept on rubbing it, hoping that Naruto would soon return. Someone had to distract her, right? And the blond was loud enough to do that...

"Hey, Sakura, stop rubbing, your back string's coming loose—here, let me tie it back for you..."

Grinning like a kid with ice cream, Genma made the move to reach up and tie it. Sakura braced, ready to glare at him and pummel him if he even so much as touched her without her permission—

He backed off, turning to give Kakashi a weird look. Then his brown eyes lit up, and he settled back in his seat, an even wider grin on his handsome face.

"Well, okay," he drawled, smirking. "Why didn't you say so, man? The...er, protective teacher gets to tie the string—fine, I get it."

Then, before Sakura could turn her head to see what Genma was talking about, a finger was felt at the back of her neck. She inhaled a breath. Shivered slightly, as the strings rustled, as his fingers—two now—quietly tied them back into place. She imagined his mouth there, bringing the shivers to a higher degree.

She wanted to lean into him and moan. So badly.

She wanted him to continue and trace down until—

His fingers left, finished with the task.

She didn't know whether to cry in relief or scream in frustration. She opted for shifting uncomfortably in her seating position, thoroughly aware of every inch of his body beside her.

_No, no, no, Sakura! You have got to stop doing this, you are being idiotic! No, no, NO!_

"Thank you, Kakashi," she managed, desperately trying to control herself.

"No problem," he intoned, his voice casual.

_You see! He isn't affected by it! So you better stop this and act normal, for crying out loud! No such thoughts allowed!_

A loud voice—no, wait, _two_ loud voices—came from behind, and this time Sakura did almost cry out in relief at how familiar they were.

"Idiot, you left me there and dragged Sakura like a madman! And to think I was trying to hook her up with—"

"Ino-chan, stop yelling in my ear! I didn't mean it, I forgot you!"

"How the hell could any normal person forget _me?_"

"Stop pulling my ear, I'm going to spill the drinks—"

And spill the drinks, he did. Right in Sakura's direction. Startled, the pink-haired medic moved to the side, as if on instinct. But Naruto was stumbling and Ino was next, and they both bumped into Sakura, and Sakura was shoved even further to the side. She was going to fall off the bench if she didn't brace herself. Quickly, Sakura let herself grip whatever there was to grip to keep her balance. She managed to do it right, because she wasn't falling, and Naruto was all but pressing against her back, with a yelling Ino in front of him.

So much for a fun night.

She felt relieved though, because at least she didn't fall down in such an undignified way. Whew. Sighing in annoyance, she finally let herself see who or what had pretty much saved her, vowing to let Naruto have the beating this time. Now he truly deserved it, the baka.

She froze.

It was Kakashi—and he was staring at her with his visible eye widened into an expression she couldn't understand. She looked down.

One of her hands was resting on a thigh...a male's muscled thigh. The other, which was gripping more firmly, was on something near the thigh, through the pants. A long length. A hot one. A hard one.

An aroused one.

Her eyes widened back.

Oh. My. Kami.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_a/n: Alright, here's chapter 4...whew! It's 4:24 am, and I'm already so sleepy. I just finished my major exam for the day (and it was murder on the mind, trust me) and I simply couldn't resist finishing this. So, here it is. It's a bit longer than the previous chapters, and I hope that's okay with you guys._

_I've gotta sleep now. Again, please review and tell me what you think. :)_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A normal person would have removed her hand by now.

Wait, no—a normal person would have removed her hand _five_ seconds ago. Even earlier, considering how awkward this was getting, and how crowded the place they were in was beginning to be (not that it already was).

But oh, no—Sakura's hand was still there, frozen in place. Just like she was, as she stared at his lap with eyes wide open.

He should be amused. Amused, because she looked like she was about to freak out any second. Amused, because she was speechless, and was pretty much on the verge of stuttering again—a trait he found endearing, one he didn't know she possessed. Amused, because this accidental situation really was funny, considering how once again, Naruto had made a mess of things that were supposed to be simple.

He wasn't. He wasn't amused.

Instead, he was hard as hell.

So aroused was he that at that moment, all he wanted to do was lay his own hand on top of hers, and set those unmoving fingers into a nice, steady rhythm. Better yet, he wanted to take her away, to just grab her from that bar, from all these people, and to get her against some back alley wall, or some empty table, or some freaking available bed.

And then have his sweet, wonderful way with her.

He really should have worn a belt tonight.

It really was unfair because this was, once again, his ex-student—and he should _not _be thinking about her _that _way. Sheesh—how many times did he have to get that into his stupid head? Should he just hit himself with a hammer and be done with it?

The problem was, it wasn't his brains that were working at the moment. It was something else. And that something else was becoming very hard to control tonight. Yesterday.

One week ago.

And the images in his mind—_stupid mind!—_didn't exactly help. Fantasies about her, and what those delicate hands could do.

Kakashi almost felt his eyes cross when she shifted said hand, moving over his length in an innocent caress. An innocent one, because he knew she didn't mean it—couldn't have meant it. His bulge grew bigger.

He stared at her. She stared back.

Then, as if just realizing the delicacy of the situation they were in, she gave a small, mouse-like squeak. Took out her hand. Jumped back.

And proceeded to flush like an overripe tomato.

A pretty, pretty sight.

Glancing away from her, he saw that Naruto and Ino were still arguing, and had pretty much ignored what had happened. He looked back at Sakura, and saw that she was looking anywhere but at him, her fingers going to the back of her neck to rub it again—probably from nervousness, or embarrassment. Then to her ear, to wiggle it. He imagined himself licking that ear, causing her to shiver deliciously in his mouth. Imagined himself untying that back string, and putting his lips there, on that creamy skin. Soft, wet kisses that would make her moan long and loud and arch her back—

He grit his teeth, viciously stirring himself off such thoughts.

Must. Stop. Now.

"I—" Sakura began, starting to stutter again. She avoided his eyes, now playing with the hem of her skirt. He had to deliberately keep his eyes from going down and ogling. "Er—I—I didn't mean—it's—"

"It's okay, Sakura. You didn't mean it, I know," he supplied, voice light. Kakashi gave his patented eye crinkle, knowing it would make her feel less awkward and more herself—if she was even bothering looking, that is.

It turned out she _was_ looking (but not directly, just out of the corner of her eye) and it seemed to work, because soon she sighed in what could only be termed as relief.

He should feel relief, too, he really should. She didn't ask any questions, about the...er, state he had previously been in—she didn't even so much as give him some sort of angry glare or retort, when she herself felt it. Touched it. Not a pummel, not a punch. Not a single throw.

He wasn't. He wasn't relieved.

Not one damn bit.

With a sigh, Kakashi gazed at her warily. She was biting her lower lip now, a gesture he found sexy.

Maybe it was time to put a stop to all of this.

"Sakura, I—"

Before he could continue, Naruto's whine suddenly got louder (if that was even possible), and Ino's shrill yell ten times more (yes, that _was_ possible). Kakashi saw her narrowing her eyes, and instantly stop biting her lip. She made a move to turn to the two people who had been the cause of all of this from the very beginning. If he didn't know better, it looked like she was about to give them a piece of her mind—or in that case, punch.

But something entirely different happened.

Ino shoved Naruto—hard. Yelping, he tried to grab hold of something, the nearest thing there was to break his fall—which, unfortunately, happened to be Ino. Again. Ino shrieked, but couldn't do anything as her arms were all but grabbed. She lost her balance as well, and the two fell onto Sakura—who, just as startled, tried turning her back to escape. But like before, it was too late.

It was like a domino. And before everyone knew it, everything was happening so fast.

Naruto was toppled onto an upturned chair, groaning miserably like some madman. Ino was cursing loudly, one leg under another upturned chair, her butt down on the floor. Genma was grinning like crazy, his eyes twinkling in merriment.

And Sakura...well, she was on the floor, too, a few inches away from her two friends. Breathing heavily, clutching on a shirt.

Straddling him.

Her dress had hiked up, revealing more of those long legs. But nobody could see because, well...Kakashi's hand was somehow on it.

An accident, he tried to convince himself. An instinct to cover it.

Like _hell._

He was in a sitting-kneeling position, which meant only one thing—their bodies were flushed together, molded so close to feel each other's heat. To hear each other's breath, as mouths nearly touched ears.

To smell each other's scent.

And _her_ scent was enough to make his blood pound a deadly, dangerous beat.

"Kakashi," she murmured, in a voice that reminded him of one week ago—when she was under him, and moving so, so sensually. Sultry and soft.

He didn't speak. He couldn't.

Instead he felt his mouth touch her ear. Not kissing, no—just a small contact, almost feather light. Felt her shiver, and almost stop breathing. Felt his own body respond once again.

And then someone yelled once more, breaking the silent spell.

"Oi! You four! This is a bar, not a brawling arena! But you sure look funny, hahaha!"

_Off limits._

"Kiba, you ass, will you stop laughing and help me get up here?" Ino growled, glaring at the dog ninja, then at Naruto (although the glare intensified at the latter). Grinning in amusement, sharp fangs showing, Kiba strolled forward and gallantly gave the blond beauty his outstretched hand.

"I can't help it. What did the idiot do this time?" Kiba teased.

"Well, she was pushing me and—"

"He meant you, you idiot!" Ino interrupted Naruto with a snarl, dusting her dress huffily.

"I am not an idiot!" Naruto yelled back.

From the corner of his eye, Kakashi saw Kiba laughing like a lunatic, hands on his stomach. He saw the guy's dog, Akamaru, sitting beside him, tongue out and tail enthusiastically wagging.

Then his eye met Genma's.

The idiot was still grinning widely. Smirking, too (two tasks most people couldn't pull off at the same time). And there was a certain knowing glint in those brown eyes that Kakashi did not like. Nor trust. At all.

Oh, shit.

Without further delay, Kakashi got his hands off Sakura's leg and put them on her waist. Small—he could almost nearly mold them with his hold.

He slowly, ever so slowly shifted her away.

The warmth immediately vanished, leaving him a bit disappointed. Then angry—though he knew it wasn't at her. He ignored all that and quickly stood up. Then he offered her his hand, just like Kiba had done.

She took it quietly, making him think of how soft they were—a sharp contrast to the power she held in it. They stared at each other once again.

Silence.

Then he gave her his eye crinkle.

It was the only possible thing to give her at the moment.

"You're getting clumsier, Sakura," he murmured, voice casual. "Better get on with more training."

She blinked. She stared more. Then she looked away, sighing.

"It wasn't my fault. The idiot did it," she muttered, pouting a bit sulkily. The way her bottom lip stuck out like that made him want to—

"Well, goodnight, then," he said before the thought could finish in his mind. Abruptly, he gave her a nod, then went back to his table, ignoring the sounds and the loud voices still behind him.

Finally, he heard the loud female blond give out a parting announcement.

"Sakura, if I have to deal one more minute with your exasperating teammate, I swear I am going to go _insane. _Let's go."

He didn't hear Sakura's reply, but he figured she must have nodded, because after a few seconds he could hear heels clicking a steady rhythm away from where they had been.

A few more seconds, and another loud voice was heard.

"Sakura-chan, Ino-pig—wait for us! Let's go, Kiba, Akamaru—they look like they could use some company. Bye, Genma-san! Bye, Kakashi-sensei!"

"See ya', kid," Genma drawled lazily.

Kakashi lifted his hand in a wave, back turned.

Then the two—or three, considering the dog—were gone as well.

Silently, Kakashi stared at his drink, not bothering to say anything. He could feel Genma's eyes on him, just as silent—but getting annoying every second.

"Kakashi?"

"Hmm?"

"Ino has a fine ass."

"Hmm."

A pause.

"Sakura, too."

Silence.

Though the grip on his sake bottle had tightened.

Genma chuckled. Then he said, in a knowing voice, "You sure are lucky you didn't have your belt on."

And before Kakashi could reply, or even so much as give him a warning glare—or hell, a big punch in the face—the senbon-wielding ninja was standing up and strolling off to the bar. To get more drinks, he'd said. And catch more women. He whistled cheerfully on the way.

Grimacing, Kakashi went back to staring into his drink. He took a gulp, then another. He sighed, well aware of what exactly just happened (him almost kissing—_taking—_Sakura there on the disgusting floor), exactly how it just happened (his body acting up responsively, for the most part), and exactly how it _wasn't_ going to happen again.

Ever.

He was a grown man. He could do it—of course he could. What was he, some stupidly hormonal kid who'd never done it before? Hah! Of course not. He could control himself, thank you very much.

Really.

When the images came back, he began to curse himself. He scowled, taking in another large gulp of sake. He cursed again.

Then he proceeded to get outrageously, stupidly drunk.

_Damn stupid hormones._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_a/n: Well, here's chapter 5. I know many have been expecting different outcomes after chapter 4 (particularly outcomes like them finally ending up doing something), but I want the teasing to go on longer...I think it's much more thrilling that way._

_What do you think of this chapter?_

_Please review, thanks! :)_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

When Sakura woke up the next morning, groggy and very much disoriented, there were certain things that somewhat registered in her fuzzy mind.

The birds were chirping outside her window.

The sun was shining over her still closed eyes.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

And something was pounding her skull as if ready to split it in half. She groaned.

"Sakura-chaaaaaaaan!"

Or was it someone knocking at her door?

"Wakey-wakey, little kunoichi! Open the door, Sakura-chaaaan!"

Yep. Definitely the door.

And she had a pretty good idea who it was.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

With a nasty, very nasty growl, Sakura threw the covers off herself and proceeded to stand up. Her growl instantly became a groan, then a whimper, as she clutched her head to keep her vision from spinning. There was a throbbing pain inside her head—a headache, of the worst kind. What the heck had happened?

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Oh, right. Last night. Bottles of sakes. Lots of flirting. Endless glasses of sex on the beach.

Ino was going to be _so_ dead. Sakura was sure of it this time.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

If Ino hadn't insisted on going out, this would not have happened. She wouldn't have this splitting headache—

BAM! BAM! BAM!

—or this really annoying dizziness, or—

BAM! BAM! BAM!

—this terrible lack of sleep.

BAM! BAM! BA—

"WOULD YOU QUIT RUINING MY DOOR AND BE SILENT FOR A MINUTE, NARUTO!"

Nope, she wouldn't have any of those things if she just stayed home and slept like a baby last night.

Stalking dizzily like a madwoman, Sakura muttered curses under her breath—some of which she'd learned from Ino, and others which she'd picked up from just about everyone else (well, except Hinata, who never said bad things). She kept on stalking, until she was out of her bedroom, had reached her living room and was nearly to the front of her small apartment.

She opened the door with a snarl.

"What the hell do you want?"

"Mou, Sakura-chan...is that how you greet your very best friend in this village?"

Her vision was still a bit out of it, but Sakura could clearly see Naruto standing with his hand poised in a knocking stance in the air—and his mouth in a little pout. On his right stood Sai, looking as pale and slim as always. Behind them both, there was someone with hands in pockets, and wearing blue—Sasuke, who else?

"I can easily disown you, best friend of mine," Sakura replied grumpily, giving the blond a little knock on the head. There was a distinct loud "Ouch!" from him, followed by more loud whimpering. Sai looked unattached. Sasuke smirked.

Stupid men.

But Sakura didn't really mean it, because after the growling she sighed and went to the kitchen, leaving the front door open. After a second, the three immediately followed.

"Hey, hag, you're looking especially ugly today."

Sakura merely gave her artist teammate a half-hearted glare and went on with the makings of her usual morning pot of tea—plus an additional pot of coffee. Her head was _still _throbbing. She ignored the three for a while, searching her cupboards for something to tend to the ache. She finally found her stash of medicinal aspirins and immediately took three.

Slowly, gradually, the headache began to go away.

Thank Kami.

"Neh, Sakura-chan," Naruto chirped, apparently already forgetting his whimpering session, "We were looking and looking for you and Pig last night...and we couldn't find you at all! Where did you both go?"

"Naruto, didn't she already tell you not to call her Pig?" Sakura reprimanded, raising an eyebrow. "_I'm_ the only one who's supposed to call her that." She sighed when the blond merely pouted and went on to pour coffee and tea for everyone—after having dealt with them for years now, she already knew who preferred what.

She gave Naruto his cup of coffee, which he eagerly accepted, then gulped. He instantly choked as his tongue got scalded. "HOO—HO—t!"

Sakura giggled. She then handed over the boiled cups of tea to her two remaining teammates. Sai thanked her politely (he really was learning his manners these days), while Sasuke simply nodded with a predictable "Hn". She went back to the table and took her own sip of coffee. Then the tea.

Ahh. Now the sleepiness was disappearing, too.

She almost whimpered in bliss.

While the silence went on for a minute or so, Sakura became aware of the fact that someone was watching her. Observing. She also knew, by fact, who it was—mostly because both Naruto and Sai were sitting in front her, hurling insults at each other (therefore ignoring her). She ignored the intense stare, opting to sip her tea calmly.

"Bastard!"

"Ugly."

"Jerk!"

"Dickless."

"ARGHH!"

Before Naruto could launch himself angrily at a pleasantly-smiling Sai (okay, so maybe he really wasn't that good at the manners thing yet), Sakura pounded her fist in the kitchen table and gave the blond a warning glare.

"Naruto, don't you even dare, because I swear I will wring your neck if you ever so much as put a dent in my clean kitchen."

Naruto pouted again. "But Sakura-chan!"

"Naruto..."

"Fine," he huffed, folding his arms and sticking out his tongue at the still-smiling Sai. "But he is still a bas—"

Sakura smiled in amusement. "Yes, yes, sometimes he is." Naruto beamed childishly at that, making her giggle. Finally, after a sip coffee, then another of tea, she turned to face Sasuke beside her.

"Okay, what?" she asked, a bit curiously.

Sasuke stared a little bit more. Then he turned to his tea and assumed his usual unreadable pose.

"Nothing," he said quietly, after a pause.

Sakura shrugged. This was normal behavior for him, anyway, so she didn't press further. After a moment, she remembered something.

"Naruto?"

"Yes, Sakura-chan?"

"Aren't you supposed to meet Tsunade-shishou today?"

Naruto blinked, looking puzzled. Then his face cleared and he beamed again, gulping on his fourth (yes, fourth) cup of coffee.

"I already did that earlier, Sakura-chan!" he chirped proudly. "And she did remember, like you said!"

"Oh, okay. So what happened? What did she need you for?"

Naruto seemed puzzled again. He scrunched his eyebrows, as if trying to remember. Sai sighed. Sasuke scoffed. Sakura patiently waited.

Finally, his face lit up. "Oh, she just wanted me to relay a message."

"Oh. Okay," she said, nodding her head while Naruto continued ranting about how they were going to get ramen after all this. "Naruto?"

"Yes, Sakura-chan?"

"So you delivered the message, right?" she prodded. He did, after all, have the big bad habit of dillydallying, and it wasn't something Tsunade would appreciate...

"Yes, of course!" Naruto exclaimed. Sakura sighed in relief, and smiled a bit proudly. "That's good—"

"Baa-chan said to tell you to meet her in five minutes!"

Silence.

"Naruto?" she asked again. This time there was a warning tone in her voice—something that Sasuke and Sai noticed very well. Naruto, of course, seemed oblivious.

"Yes?"

"What time did you meet up with her when she said I'm supposed to meet her in...five minutes?"

"Oh—we met two hours ago! I was really early so she wouldn't scold me!"

Silence.

Naruto continued happily on his sixth cup of coffee.

Sasuke and Sai continued backing out of the kitchen, knowing what was to come.

And Sakura...

"NARUTO, YOU BAKA!"

"Wha—AWWWWWW!"

Let's just say she made today one of the most painful days of the innocent blond boy's life.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Fifteen minutes later, after kicking the three boys out and taking one of the fastest showers of her life (while muttering curses under her breath), she raced out of her apartment and got ready to make a dash for it.

"Sakura."

She stopped, when Sasuke's voice came from behind her. Turning around, she saw him leaning on the side of her front door, his hands on his pockets.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"We need to talk."

This surprised her a bit. What would they be talking about? He _never_ initiated talks with her—it was usually _her_ who chatted up a storm with him.

Nevertheless, she really didn't have time for this, not now.

"Sasuke-kun, can we do this another time? I have—"

"We need to talk," he repeated, ignoring her words.

She gave him a somewhat impatient look. "Not now, okay. Next time."

Sakura turned back around, about to run. But before she could, she was pulled back, until she was facing him again. She looked down, and was surprised to see that he was holding her wrist.

Since when had he _ever_ willingly touched her?

Sasuke merely gazed at her again—that unreadable gaze that she sometimes found puzzling, sometimes found annoying. Right now she just found it exasperating.

"Sasuke-kun?"

Silence.

Then he nodded, letting her go.

"Tonight, then. I'll meet you here. You better go," he said abruptly. Then he stepped back and disappeared with a poof.

Sakura stared. Shrugged. Shook her head in confusion.

Then, remembering what she was supposed to be doing, she cursed again and ran like hell.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Another fifteen minutes later, just as she was about to enter the Hokage tower, there was yet another interruption.

Kami. Weren't people going to ever leave her alone?

"Forehead!"

With a sigh, Sakura turned to the dashing blonde and gave out a pointed, irritated glare.

"What?"

"Jeez, don't be such a grouch!" Ino complained, pouting and placing her hands on her hips. "I just wanted to talk to you."

"Not now, Pig."

"But—"

"After, okay? I'm already late."

"Fine!" Ino sulked, glaring back. Just as Sakura was about to enter the tower, she heard a definite titter behind her—one she didn't trust.

Then what Ino said next had her freezing in her tracks.

"You better not cancel, Forehead, because we definitely have a lot to talk about. Specifically your...dirty thoughts last night."

With a cackle, Ino left, whistling happily under her breath.

Sakura had no choice but to curse more words, and think what a morning this was turning out to be. Could her day get any worse?

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Fifteen minutes later, after much more cursing and colliding head-on with some ninja who yelled at her for not looking where she was going (she was _distracted_—who could blame her?), she finally arrived at the top of the tower, where she found her mentor behind the desk, looking impatient.

"I'm sorry, shishou!" she said, out of breath and extremely frazzled. "I didn't—"

"Never mind that, Sakura," Tsunade interrupted, waving a hand. Then, with a grumble, "At least you're still earlier than that lazy pervert."

"What?" Sakura blurted out. It didn't take a genius to figure out who Tsunade was talking about, of course—but Sakura's mind wasn't exactly working very brightly right now.

Especially after the words lazy pervert.

Because it brought certain images back. The touch. The looks.

That big, hard—

"Anyway," Tsunade said loudly—to which Sakura looked up guiltily, red in the face all over again. "I think—Sakura, are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" Sakura yelled forcefully, mustering up the brightest smile she could. The big-breasted blond gave her a weird look, then simply shrugged.

"Okay...if you say so, Sakura."

"I do say so!" Sakura chirped, aware that she was sounding like a spaz.

Stupid, stupid imagination.

"Well, anyway, I have an assignment for you."

An assignment? And she wasn't scolded at all! Inwardly, Sakura thanked the stars for not making the day any worse for her. Outwardly, she gave her mentor an eager look.

"Yes, shishou?"

"I want you to give two stupid people their physical exams today, before they leave for their mission."

Her mind rounded on one person that didn't get a physical examination: Genma. She inwardly groaned. It couldn't be him, right? Because it was Kakashi who was being waited upon—

Suddenly her eyes widened, and she almost choked on her own saliva (something she never thought would happen). _Kakashi _was being waited upon by her shisou right now. Which meant...

"Who am I going to examine?" Sakura asked, closing her eyes and praying that this was not some coincidence, and that it wouldn't be—

"Genma this afternoon."

Okay, that was fine. Not on top of her list, but fine. Now if only...

"And your ex-sensei this morning—if he would arrive, that is. If not, then never mind."

Give or take, Sakura knew Kakashi would be a few more hours late. Somehow, it gave her hope. If he wasn't here by afternoon, maybe she wouldn't have to examine him anymore. She'd be busy with Genma, wouldn't she? Looks like things were looking up...

"Yo."

Or not.

With a snap, Sakura opened her eyes in shock. She stared at him. Then at the clock.

Ten-thirty. Plenty of time.

Yep. Someone kill her now.

Because indeed, what a morning this was turning out to be.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_a/n: Not much interaction with Kakashi, I know. Maybe next chapter? :)_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The Konoha hospital wasn't that busy—mostly because there weren't that many missions, and their ninja village wasn't exactly on threat these days. For the most part, the only patients around were civilians, with symptoms ranging from the most common cold to some serious food poisoning (Chouji being one of those victimized).

Nevertheless, Sakura found it hard to relax.

"Forehead, remind me again why we're here in this dreary place, instead of the new restaurant to have some fabulous lunch?"

For the umpteenth time that day, Sakura sighed. It was already hard enough getting into the nurse's uniform she had borrowed (it was a strict dress code that not even she could skip), plus getting on with the already worsening day. Did Ino have to bug her about it, too?

"I already told you, Pig," Sakura muttered, gathering the materials she was to use for the physical examination in a small, sterilized metal tray, "I was given an assignment. As much as I'd like to go and have a lovely lunch with you, I have to do my responsibilities as a—"

"Yada, yada, yada," Ino interrupted, ignoring the pink-haired kunoichi's glare. "Fine, I get the gist. But what's your assignment, anyway? Can't you let some other nurse do it?"

"No. I already nearly got punished for being late. I was let off the hook easily."

"Well, okay...but what's the _task? _Surely it's not that important!"

"Well..."

"Well?" Ino repeated impatiently, arms folded.

"It's a...physical examination."

She expected more grumbling and more complaints—but Sakura was surprised when her blonde-haired best friend laughed instead. Then smirked.

"Oh. _Oh. _So you're gonna touch them in the—"

"It's part of the check-up. I have to check their genitals professionally!" Sakura snapped, glaring harder. Then, realizing that they were surrounded by people, she blushed, and immediately became embarrassed.

"I never said genitals, Forehead," Ino teased triumphantly. "I was about to say...head."

"Yeah, right. Whatever."

"My, my. You sure have dirty thoughts, girl."

"Whatever," Sakura repeated pointedly. When Ino continued smirking, she could not help but become irritated again. "What?"

"Well..."

"Well, _what?_"

"Who's the lucky guy?" Ino drawled.

"I...it's nobody."

"A civilian."

"...no."

"Aha! So it's a ninja! Cough up, girl—I know almost every ninja here in Konoha! So, who is it?"

"Nobody."

"Who is it?"

"I said no—"

"Who is it?"

"No—"

"Who is—"

"It's Kakashi, alright!" Sakura finally gave in, realizing a little too late that she'd been tricked again—the little witch! She grumbled, wanting to tear her hair out in frustration. "And Genma."

"Oh, my!" Ino squealed. "Really? Sakura, you have got to believe me now when I say you're _really_ lucky." Eyeing Sakura up, and then down, she smirked again. "No wonder you're wearing such tight clothes."

"Ino!"

"Not that you don't look hot, because you do—"

"I left my uniform at home, okay? And the dress code—"

"Fine, whatever. Yada, yada, Sakura. You want to know what I think?"

"Not particularly," Sakura replied dryly. She readjusted her borrowed white uniform (she liked her light green one better), feeling a bit uncomfortable. It really was a size too small. But, well, what could she do?

Ino ignored the words, and plowed on.

"I think you should jump them."

Sakura nearly dropped her tray at that.

"Ino!"

"Well, not both of them, I know you're conservative—but just one! You could just straddle him then and there and grind yourself—"

"Pig!"

"—against him. Oh, the lovely erection that would produce. You guys could _do it_ at the examination table!"

She was hyperventilating. She was having a nightmare. She was going very, very crazy.

Because a silver-haired haired jounin was popping in her mind the whole time Ino was talking.

Oh, Kami. Somebody kill her. _Now._

"Pig, you'd better stop it or I will shout at the top of my lungs your beloved nickname right here and everywhere I go to afterward," Sakura growled, trying very hard not to flush. She reached for more medical supplies, piling them in her tray at lightning speed. She had to get out of there, fast—Ino was damaging her brain!

"You are no fun," Ino pouted charmingly. She brooded for a while, then immediately brightened. "So, who are you going to jump? Kakashi or Genma?"

"Nobody!" Sakura snapped. "One is my sensei and the other is a playboy!"

"Makes it sinfully hotter, doesn't it?" Ino said suggestively.

"Shut up, Pig! I'm going now!"

"Fine!" Ino huffed. "I'll go visit Chouji, the poor bloke—poisoning himself again with his endless eating. As for _you_, missy...we still have a _lot_ to talk about! You'd better go get me after your exciting activities!"

"Just go," Sakura said with a groan. Ino merely giggled.

When the blonde beauty finally left (with a sway of her hips that made most men within viewing range stare), Sakura let go of the tray for a while, bracing her hands on the counter. She closed her eyes. Took a deep, deep breath. Opened her eyes.

Then she grabbed the tray once more and determinedly headed off to her doom.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kakashi was bored—again. And it didn't exactly help that he was too nervous to pay attention to his precious smut—especially since the page he had stopped at involved a dentist seducing her boyfriend on a dentist chair.

Sakura may not have been a dentist, and he may not have been her boyfriend, but the general idea was still a bit too close for comfort.

And Tsunade wasn't being any help, either.

_Kakashi, you have skipped physical examinations for six years now, and I won't tolerate it anymore! You are going to let Sakura examine you this morning—or by Kami, I swear I will punch you to the ends of Konoha if you even so much as dare to skip it again!_

The woman had a pretty mean punch, too.

With a sigh, Kakashi finally resigned himself to his fate, and lay down on the examination table. It had a pillow on it, which was quite comfortable. He closed his eyes.

There was really nothing to worry about. It wasn't like Sakura was going to wear something provocative, like she did last night. No. Today, she was going to be in her nurse's uniform. He had seen it lots of times, and he had to say it was the conservative type—nothing to peek at, nothing to get all hot and bothered on.

So yeah, nothing to worry about. He was just over-complicating everything.

Sighing again, Kakashi let his mind relax. He could survive this. Of course he could.

He slowly drifted off to sleep.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Kakashi..."

The voice was soft, and very sweet-sounding. Slowly, Kakashi opened his eyes. Stared. A pair of brilliant green eyes stared right back.

"Sakura."

He blinked his eyes several times, trying to adjust to the light. Did it suddenly just get brighter? He tried to stand up, but found he couldn't—something was pinning his shoulders on the cushioned table.

"Sakura, why are you holding me down—"

His words stopped when, out of nowhere, she placed a finger on his masked lips, as if telling him to stop talking.

Then she straddled him.

His visible eye widened. He almost choked.

"Sakura—"

She looked nervous, but determined. He became aware that her skirt had lifted up, exposing her creamy legs to him. Her thighs. He tried not to stare and held himself rigid, as her scent suddenly filled his nostrils. Strawberries, just like before—no perfume.

He was already hard, and she was making it worse.

Slowly, she dipped her head down, hovering closer. He lifted his arms to push her—she merely took his hands, placing them firmly on her thighs.

He couldn't help but think they were so...silky. Unintentionally, his fingers moved. She vibrated under his touch, moaning quietly in a soft, low voice.

He had to stop this.

"Sakura—"

"I'm going to seduce you," she announced, her voice sultry. He forgot his words. Slowly, she touched her blouse, easing the buttons open one by one. She parted it. She was braless.

He forgot to _breathe._

Silently, Sakura pressed her bare—firm, perky—breasts down, molding herself to him. She felt so real...this had to real, right?

"I'm going to seduce you and make you forget everything else," she murmured, right by his ear. Then, without warning, she stripped down his mask, and attacked his mouth with her hot, strawberry-tasting lips.

It was madness from then on.

He kissed her back. There was really nothing he could do, because he was so aroused that it wasn't possible to back away anymore. He wanted her naked—naked and soft, and very, very willing.

"Take off your pants," she whispered, breathing labored. His own breaths were coming out in pants. "I want—to put—my hands—there."

"Sakura—"

"I want to touch it," she said, kissing him more fervently. Kakashi grabbed her neck, pulling her closer and kissing her harder. "I want—to touch—you...down there. I want to suck it."

Before he could so much as reply, her hands had streaked down, and pulled his zipper open. She inserted her hand inside, and sprang his length free. She molded it, rubbing until he felt his eyes go black and blue with pleasure.

Unable to help it anymore, he flipped her until she was under him. She arched in pleasure, moaning his name the whole time.

"Kakashi..."

She did not let go of his length.

"Kakashi..."

He slid his hands higher, anticipating the wet heat.

"Kakashi..."

She wasn't wearing any panties.

"Kakashi..."

She pressed her breasts closer, willing him to take it. He took one, suckling madly.

"Kakashi!" she screamed in pleasure, squeezing him harder. His eyes crossed.

He grabbed hold of her hands, pinning them above her head. Then he lifted her hips up.

And plunged himself inside.

"Kakashi!"

She was screaming again, and he was groaning in pleasure and excitement and desire and—

"Kakashi!"

Wait a minute. Why did her voice suddenly sound so...different?

"Darn it, Kakashi—wake up!"

With a jolt, Kakashi opened his eyes. He was lying on his back, his eyes on something hovering above him. Green eyes. Slim hands.

Shaking him in annoyance.

Without even having to analyze things through, he realized what exactly just happened. He had fallen asleep, and dreamed.

And in that dream, he was having mind-boggling sex with Haruno Sakura.

And it still hadn't finished.

He was painfully aware of his hard-on, concealed beneath his jounin pants. His breath was still ragged, his mind still swirling with wild vividness. Wild visions. Plunging, riding, screaming—

Abruptly, he sat up, trying to control his mind, his thoughts. Trying to get ahold of his sanity. He looked up, ready to tell her to get out of the room, and leave him alone. To get the hell away from him.

And then he saw her.

She was wearing a white uniform, and it wasn't her usual one. It was small and tight, showing just enough cleavage and legs to make his mouth go dry. Her hair was in a ponytail, leaving her ivory neck exposed. She was biting her plump bottom lip innocently, her eyes big and wide with irritation. She looked so sinfully sweet. Sinfully innocent.

Sinfully fuckable.

Her hands were fidgeting, restless—just like in his dream. The images came back, in absolute full force. It was too much.

Sakura turned around, her lovely bottom now facing him. "Kakashi, I need you to strip off all your clothes. I'll start the examination."

He couldn't forget. He couldn't stop. He must have her. Here.

Now.

"No, Sakura. I need _you_ to strip off yours."

The last thing he heard before reason completely left him was the sound of her soft gasp, her hitching breath.

Then her stethoscope hit the floor with a cold, hard thud.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_a/n: Cliffy! I hope you guys don't hate me, but it's more exciting this way. :)  
_

_By the way, to all Gaara-Sakura lovers, I have posted a new oneshot that might have a sequel, though I'm not sure yet...I hope you'll like it (the oneshot, that is)!_

_Happy reading! Reviews are appreciated. :)_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sakura wasn't sure if she heard it wrong, or if she heard it right, or if she was going deaf, or was simply being plagued by an overactive imagination. He was kidding.

He _had_ to be kidding.

Either that, or she was dreaming. Yep. This was all a nice, lovely dream—one she was going to wake out of in just a few darn seconds.

Because of her preoccupation, she didn't hear his movement, or even sense him coming—that is, until she felt the heat radiating inches behind her and became aware of a pair of large, strong hands settling themselves on her waist. Familiar hands—the very same ones that had touched the very same waist just last night.

No, this wasn't a dream. It couldn't be.

She gripped the counter in front of her, her breathing unsteady. He was standing close, so close.

He moved closer.

"Ka...kashi?"

He didn't respond. Instead, Sakura felt those familiar hands move down, touching in soft caresses until they reached her hips. He moved closer still, pressing his front to her soft back, making her slightly tremble.

She felt something touch her hair, and she held her breath when she realized what it was. Before she could grasp onto the feeling longer, the something moved, reaching her ear.

His masked mouth moved, softly kissing it. She closed her eyes, trembling some more.

"Ka...kashi..."

"Hm?" Kakashi's mouth continued kissing her ear, nipping on her earlobe every once in a while. It sent shivers traveling over her, heating up her entire body instantly. She tried to speak, tried to say something. Anything.

And then his mouth lost its mask, and said unmasked mouth—bare and wonderfully hot—moved down. Down, until it reached the side of her jaw. Then the side of her neck. Kissing. Nipping. Teeth lightly, very lightly grazing.

She lost all words and thoughts completely.

Moaning softly, mind spinning, she did the only thing she could comprehend doing at the moment. She leaned into his mouth, moving backwards. Pressing more firmly into him. Suddenly, white-hot pleasure speared through her, growing achingly hot in her belly.

Down between her legs.

She bit her lip hard to keep from crying out loud in what could only be deemed as ecstasy. Her nails—Kami, they were digging into the counter, probably damaging the furniture right now.

Why wasn't she stopping? Why wasn't she freaking stopping this?

_Because you want it_, a voice somewhere inside her answered. _You want it so bad. _

Inner Sakura. It had to be.

She didn't know what to say.

Slowly, his hands moved again, one upwards, stopping on her stomach. The other took a sensual route down, stopping at the edge of her short skirt. His fingers skimmed, tracing soft circles. She thought it would stop there, she really did. There had to be nothing else, because this aching pleasure was already too much.

She was wrong.

His hand continued moving, skimming under her skirt. Lifting it up as he did so. Up, up...stopping and settling on her inner thighs.

And then his fingers moved, feather-light touches. Palms rubbing, up and down.

Up.

She couldn't help it—she arched into those hands, as the sensation sent her into a fast, spiraling overdrive. She moaned again, unconsciously rubbing her bottom against his back. Instinctively, her own hands left the counter, and settled on top of his—one on the stomach, and one on the thigh. He growled approvingly, his mouth moving faster over her skin.

This was an onslaught. This was heaven. This was sin.

This was _madness_.

"Take off your clothes," he whispered, his voice hoarse. Seductive.

"Wha...t..?" she murmured, his words not registering. Only his voice, and the sound...the tone...oh, _Kami_...so hot...

"Take. Off. Your. Clothes," he rasped, mouth trailing up and nipping her earlobe again. "I—want—you—naked."

Abruptly, he pulled her closer—making her feel, for the first time, something hard and almost pulsing on her back. At the same time, Ino's words came back to her head.

_You could just straddle him then and there and grind yourself—_against him. Into him.

All over him.

They were going to have sex. Here. Now. Her first, her very first.

In the examination room. With her ex-sensei.

It was too much.

Suddenly her mind panicked, as image after image viciously tangled in her brain. Before she knew it, the panic reached her heart, her soul—she was taking her hands from his, pushing herself off the counter. Pushing him off her.

Then she slipped away from his grasp and moved to the furthest side of the room, her thoughts still jumbled. Her breath still catching.

Her heart still beating too fast.

"I—what—you can't—I—" she stuttered desperately, still unable to form words. She couldn't look him in the eye, afraid of what she'd see. Afraid of what _he'd _see.

Silence.

He wasn't speaking, and neither was she.

Silence.

Silence.

_Silence._

Sakura finally took the courage to look up, and what she saw had the breath backing out of her lungs completely. He was just standing there, breathing silently. His hands were on his sides, very still. His mask was gone, now pooling around his neck. It left his face bare, making her see the beautiful sight of skin, scar, and darkened eyes. Swollen lips.

Kami help her, it did nothing to faze her. No.

It turned her on.

The silence reigned on, loud and strained and full of confusing, undeniable tension. She was afraid to speak—afraid he'd hear the catch in her voice, or the rusty desire that was still very present there. She continued trying to breathe, trying to calm herself in quiet, steady breaths.

And then he moved, towards her.

He moved, and his fingers undid his vest as he did so.

Her eyes widened.

"No!" she shrieked, putting a hand out in a stop sign. He ignored it and kept on moving. Kept on undressing. His shirt came off next, revealing some faint scars and skin and wonderfully gleaming muscles.

Oh, oh Kami. She was going to have a heart attack.

"Kaka—shi!" she stuttered, frantically moving away from him. Her rump bumped into another table, and she quickly pushed off it clumsily, moving still. "I—you—wha—what are you doing!"

"You told me to strip my clothes off."

His hands moved to his belt, slowly removing it. Like the stethoscope, it dropped to the floor with a cold, hard thud.

Then his hands rested on the button of his pants.

And he _still _did not stop moving.

"I—that was before!"

"Before?"

"Before...before—the—you—darn it, stop stalking me!"

Her breath was hitching again, and she didn't understand why when he wasn't even that close anymore. But the sight...oh, the sight...

"You like it, Sakura," he murmured huskily. The way he said her name made her want to moan all over again, but she gritted her teeth and tried to focus on the words.

When she finally managed to, she couldn't help it. Her eyes narrowed.

"I do not," she huffed, sounding indignant. Or at least, trying to.

"I can hear your breaths, Sakura. Even here. They're loud, and they are very, very much affected." His hands moved over the button of the pants, making her eyes drawn to it. "You want me."

Her eyes snapped back up, firing up instantly.

"Why you arrogant, conceited—"

"And I have to have you."

"—selfi—what?" she shrieked again, stammered, the anger fading, replaced by panic all over again.

"You heard me."

"I—you—you can't just say things like that!"

"I just did."

"Well—you can't!" she blubbered, almost incoherently. Kami, she was tripping over her own tongue! "You—that's—it's—I—for goodness' sake, would you please remove your hand from..._there!_"

For the first time, his eyes seemed amused, as if finding the situation funny. He very nearly smirked—something she would have found very charming, had the circumstances been different.

Then those eyes turned dark again, pinning hers so intensely.

Burning so relentlessly.

"But you want it."

"You jerk! You arrogant—baboon! I—I do not!"

"Liar."

"I most certainly am not—"

"Then why are you backing off?"

"Because you're moving closer and you're—you're getting in the way—and—and—and stop stalking me!"

"Sakura, I'm tired of this conversation. I'm having you now."

Suddenly, he moved—at such a fast speed that it was almost impossible for the naked eye to comprehend. One minute he was several feet away from her—and then the next thing she knew, her back was on the wall and Kakashi was in front of her, trapping her body with his. She gasped softly.

Slowly, he put one palm on the wall beside her head, resting it there. His other hand, he trailed over her jaw...her neck...her throat...her heart. He spread his palm there, achingly close to her breasts.

Her eyes blurred, clouded as he leaned in, whispering very, very softly in her ear.

"Your heart's beating fast. I was right."

She was getting dizzy. She was getting so, so aroused. His chest—his bare, naked chest—was very nearly pressing over her soft breasts, and his hard thighs were so, so close to her own...she could all but feel them. Her body was starting to deliciously betray her.

Weakly, Sakura took his hand away, prepared to shove it. He twisted easily, grabbing her own hand and pulling it towards him, palm up.

"Don't—"

Then he touched his mouth to the point on her wrist where her pulse was beating so, so wildly.

And he pressed closer, until his body and her body were molded, inch by desperate inch. Tight. Hot.

She stopped breathing altogether.

_Lust. __Desire._

_Panic._

_Heart attack_.

Yes, heart attack. Just before the panic onslaught and numbing darkness overtook her, a voice sounded over the PA system.

"Haruno Sakura, please proceed to the operating room right now—there has been an emergency, and you are urgently needed."

And then she fainted.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_a/n: Lol. I had so much fun writing this! I wrote it in just an hour, so please forgive me if I made any grammatical error or the likes. I hope you'll still like it, though._

_If you think this is the end, you are so wrong. I'll be coming up with chapter nine soon, so...til' then! :)_

_NOTE: Thank you for the reviews! You guys are amazing, seriously._


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened, or at least, what could have been happening—that is, unless you're incredibly stupid and do not know a thing about the world in general.

There was Sakura, seated on a chair, green eyes closed but blinking as if about to wake up. There was Kakashi, one hand on her forehead, the other on her shoulder, as if to keep her from falling off. He had his mask on, his shirt on, his pants on, his cool facade on. His vest and belt, however, were still on the floor.

Oh, yeah. It definitely didn't take a genius to figure all of this out.

It took only one look at the potential chaos for Ino to decide that it was time to take charge.

First off, she put her hands on her hips. Then she gave the silver-haired jounin such a withering glare that if he were an ordinary person, he would have cowered in fright right then and there.

But of course, this _was_ Kakashi. The guy merely raised an eyebrow, basically ignoring the blonde and her venom. With a huff, Ino gave up and went to stand beside her friend, who was looking a bit pale.

"What happened?" Ino demanded, putting her own hand on Sakura's neck to feel her up. The girl was warm and breathing satisfactorily. She sighed in relief.

"She fainted."

Her head immediately turned to him again. He looked innocent enough, giving the usual eye crinkle. Ino sighed again.

"Well, that's pretty obvious," she quipped dryly, not sure whether to be amused or annoyed. She decided on amused before turning to Sakura once more when the pink-haired kunoichi opened her eyes, looking confused.

"Wha—"

"You're in the hospital, in the examination room, you fainted, now you're up and you're needed in the emergency room _now—_so get your butt moving and save some lives before I get it moving for you." Ino announced all of this in just one breath.

Sakura blinked and straightened up instantly at the mention of the word _emergency_. She still looked confused, but her skin color was coming back and her eyes were clearer.

"Well?" Ino said impatiently. "Let's go!"

She pulled Sakura up, despite the girl's confused mumblings. Pulled Sakura to the door, determined to get the girl to her destination.

And of course, to grill her about the details of what she had almost walked into afterward.

"She will be back for your _examination_," Ino drawled meaningfully, giving Kakashi a warning look. In other words: _stay put because I haven't sized up the situation just yet_. She felt Sakura stiffen beside her, but chose to ignore that.

Then she continued pulling.

And failed to notice the look one gave the other, before the door completely closed.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The emergency room door burst open and out came the patient, surrounded by two nurses and a newcomer medic. He was a sixteen-year-old chuunin who got caught in an ambush by some rogue ninjas on his journey home after his first solo mission in Suna—serious injuries, but curable enough. The operation took a good forty-five minutes, and all knew that if it wasn't for Sakura, the results would have been much more critical.

"Get him a private room, Anis," Sakura instructed the newcomer medic, who was looking at his charts with a serious expression on his face. He was a dedicated worker, one Sakura thought had been a valuable help in the operation. "And make sure someone checks up on him from time to time. I'll be checking up on him later."

Anis nodded his head, looking pleased at being trusted with the task. He hurriedly went off with the nurses to wheel the patient off to their destination. With a relieved sigh, Sakura removed her gloves and proceeded to wash her hands in the sink nearby.

"Good job, Sakura," Shizune said, cheerfully grinning at the pink-haired kunoichi. Ton-ton, her beloved pet, sat at her feet, squealing just as happily.

"Thanks, Shizune," Sakura replied, smiling in return.

"I guess your day-off wasn't really a day-off for you," Shizune mused, looking worried. Waving the comment off, Sakura smiled again.

"Don't worry about it. I've got other days off, anyway."

"Well, okay. Just make sure to relax now."

"Sure—after I finish with the physical exams." At the thought of the physical exams, Sakura tried not to frown.

"Oh, right. Those exams. Well, good luck! I'm off to the tower."

"See you, Shizune."

Waving, Shizune left the surgery room, Ton-ton at her heels. With another, deeper sigh, Sakura finished washing her hands and let herself lean on the sink counter, shoulders drooping. She closed her eyes and touched her fingers on her forehead, rubbing. Maybe she could have some peace for a while.

BAM!

Or maybe not.

The door banged even louder than before, followed by the excited clickity-clack of high heels.

Ino really was going to break her neck if she wasn't too careful.

"Alright, Forehead. Fess up now! And don't be afraid to delve into the details. I'm all for that."

Sakura instantly turned pink. It wasn't the Ino-had-an-idea-of-what-had-happened aspect that had her worried, because in truth, Ino knew almost all of Sakura's secrets—heck, the blonde even invented most of them. It was the fact that the aspect itself was, this time, actually quite true that had her so...well, embarrassed. She wasn't even sure how the fainting happened, or how long it happened. Hell, she didn't even know _what_ happened.

But she knew—oh, how certainly she knew—exactly _why_ it happened.

And it had her insides going into a whirlwind of butterflies, just at the mere thought.

"Well?" Ino continued, arms folded and right heel tapping on the floor impatiently. "What happened? Did he jump you? Did you jump him?"

Silence.

Sakura merely turned from pink to red.

"Oh, my Kami. Forehead, did you just faint on him while you guys were having sex?"

Now Sakura turned from red to a shade that was almost close to violet.

"Pig!" she hissed, trying hard to glare and failing miserably at it. "We didn't have sex, okay?"

"Then why did you faint?" Ino pointed out, raising an eyebrow. Suddenly her blue eyes widened, and one hand clapped her mouth in alarm. "Oh...oh my! Forehead, did he _harass_ you?"

"No!" Sakura almost yelled, the answer automatic. Ino put down her hand, looking relieved—Sakura's answer sounded truthful enough.

"Well, that's good, because if he did I would personally kick—"

"He didn't, okay?" Sakura interrupted, softly. "He's not that kind of person."

"Fine, I get it, he's the good guy. So back to the question—why the hell did you faint?"

Silence.

"You'd better answer me, Forehead, or I _will_ spread this around Konoha. You know I would."

"Don't you dare!" Sakura glared.

"I won't if you tell me!" Ino glared back.

Silence.

"You know, this is considered blackmail," Sakura muttered, pouting now. Her hands were fidgeting—a sign that meant she _would _tell, sooner or later. Ino merely rolled her eyes.

"Whatever works, sweetie. Now, what happened? Why did you faint?"

Silence.

"Sakura..."

"I...had...my first...orgasm."

Silence.

Then Ino's eyes widened in delight, as well as triumph.

"A-ha! So you guys _did _have sex!"

"Pig, lower your voice!" Sakura hissed, throwing her hands in the air in a gesture to keep the other's voice down. "I—it wasn't like that. I told you, we did _not_ have sex."

Silence.

Ino now looked positively victorious.

"Oh, I get it! So it's either he finger-fucked you-"

"No!" Sakura shrieked, curiously mortified.

"—or he sucked your breasts raw—"

"No!"

"—or he put his mouth on your—"

"_Pig!_ None of that happened!"

A pause.

"I...we just...our bodies...just...collided. And he was...erm, kissing. My wrist."

Silence. The biggest silence now.

Then Ino did something that shocked Sakura so much, she would have fallen down had there been no support on her back. The blonde jumped Sakura—hard. Arms entwined on her neck, suffocating her with the smothering hug.

Then there was a loud, squealing noise (it made Sakura think that it sounded a bit eerily like Ton-ton's own squeal).

"Forehead! Oh, my Kami, that is so sweet! I knew it! I so _knew_ it!"

Knew what?

"Knew what?" Sakura blurted out, trying to disentangle herself from the giddy female. Luckily it worked, because the blond disentangled, grinning from ear to ear.

"That he was the one you were talking about last night at the club!"

Now it was Sakura's eyes that nearly buggered out.

"Wha—what?" she spluttered, mind spinning. She talked about—_him?_

Ino kept on grinning. "You were drunk. We were at the dance club. And you talked about sex with the most gorgeous man you've known all your life, but just recently _seen,_" The blond winked. "You saw him unmasked, haven't you?"

Sakura flushed a telltale red.

"Kami! He must be seriously gorgeous to get you blushing like that," Ino teased relentlessly, eyes twinkling. "And an orgasm just from touching! _Wow_, Forehead. You really are a sweet virgin."

"It's—I—erm—" Okay, she was seriously mortified now. She couldn't even speak straight anymore.

"Well, Forehead...what happens now?"

Sakura remained silent. It wasn't that she was trying to ignore Ino's question—it was just that she truly didn't know how to answer. The blond must have sensed that, because she surprisingly stopped badgering the other with questions and remained silent, walking to stand beside Sakura and lean her own body on the sink counter. Sakura brooded.

What happens, really? What did she really want? What did she really feel?

She would have been a liar if she denied that she was attracted to him. Ever since that fateful morning, it was inevitable—she had thought of him everyday after, and had even dreamed of him sometimes. He had, to put it simply, _invaded_ her mind. Her actions.

Her hormones.

She tried to remember the reasons why she wasn't even supposed to think of him that way. Number one: he was _fourteen _years older. Number two: he was a loner. Number three: he read smut.

Number four: he was her ex-sensei. That, if not the others, said enough. More than enough, in fact.

So why didn't she believe a word of it?

_Because you know those reasons are bull—_

"Shut up, Inner me," Sakura muttered.

"What?" Ino questioned.

Sakura shook her head. "Nothing. I—nothing."

"He's still there, you know. Waiting to be...examined," Ino said after a moment, her tone clearly suggestive. She was eyeing Sakura out of the corner of her eye.

"Hmm," Sakura murmured.

She was crazy. Crazy for even considering it, crazy for even thinking about it. Crazy for even wanting it.

But she had to take a step. Now. She had to do that examination and face him _now, _so she could decide.

Step forward or retreat. It was all up to her now.

"I have to go," Sakura blurted out, pushing herself off the counter and walking for the door. Alarmed, Ino stood up straight, not following but obviously about to.

"What? Where? Forehe—"

"I have a physical examination to finish," Sakura replied. Then she walked out of the surgery room and shut the door with a decisive click.

Ino's loud laugh could be heard even through the walls.

Sakura's mind raced as she all but ran. What was she doing? Why was she doing this? She shook her head, convincing herself that she was only doing her duty. The physical examination, nothing else.

_Yeah, right._

Stubbornly ignoring Inner Sakura, Sakura ran straight on, using the stairs to fasten her flight. This was _just _about the exam...for now. She repeated the words in her head like a mantra, refusing to think about what may come afterwards, or what might lie ahead.

Refusing to think about his touch.

His kiss.

His—

The door to the examination room came into view, and she nearly fainted again at the sudden lurch of heat—nervousness—uncertainty in her stomach. This was all so confusing! She tried to focus, and suddenly in her mind, one image came: his face. His eyes. The sheer raw hunger in them. The desire.

Her knees very nearly buckled and her breathing became erratic. She was losing her sanity, right then and there. She was losing her sanity, because suddenly physical examination was the last thing in her mind.

_Jump him now. Exams later._

It was mortifying to think that for once, she actually admittedly agreed.

She touched the doorknob, turned it. Opened the door, giddy and excited and fearful, all at the same time. She went in.

And for the umpteenth time that day, she didn't know what to feel anymore.

The room was empty.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sakura busied herself that day—with work, and with every task and responsibility that was thrown her way. She skipped her day off and chose to make rounds at the hospital, to make sure all the patients were properly taken care of and were on their way to recovery. She went on with Genma's physical examination (albeit lots of flirting from him), making sure to be professional and efficient at the same time (it couldn't be helped that this _was_ Genma—he did grow hard when she touched him there, however she tried to be non-personal). She chatted with the newcomer medics to make sure that they would be comfortable around her (that was a must, because it helped a lot during surgeries and such).

And she tried to forget about him.

It wasn't easy, but she managed. Now, tired and body pretty much aching from all the work, she dragged herself home, careful to avoid Ino and be sucked into another night of outing and drinking. Nope, not again—been there, done that.

Sakura went right to sleep.

And when she woke up the next morning, two things came to her mind. First, it was a Sunday. Glorious.

Second, she had forgotten all about meeting Sasuke—who, it turned out, would now be out on a mission, right this instant. _Not _glorious. He had sounded serious—and she had forgotten and blown him off. Accidentally, of course. But _still._

_Just like someone else had blown you off, eh?_

Trying not to ponder on about that certain someone else, she glanced at her clock, frowning. Eight a.m. Sasuke must have left the village three hours ago.

With a sigh, Sakura did the only thing she could think of, on a lovely weekend, with her mind still in absolute chaos.

She went right back to sleep.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_a/n: Well, chapter 09. Hope you like it._

_On a side note, I just read as well as watched the latest manga and Shippuden episodes...and honestly, I still have no idea who Sakura is really gonna end up with! *I know, I know, that's not the main story of Naruto...but still!* I know she isn't going to end up with who we want her to end up with (Kakashi, Gaara, Itachi fans_—_sad, I know, but it's true) So, who do you guys think she'll be with? (don't base it on who you want her to be with_—_base it on your gut instinct, if you may). It might be Naruto, you know *though i want them to be just friends*_

_How about you, what do you think? _

_*darn it, this thought has been plaguing my mind since last night, so I just had to put it here. Don't mind me. You can skip this weird question if you want.*_

_Happy reading and review if you can, guys. :)_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Tsunade didn't like to be kept waiting. She hated it, and always immediately punished the people who did so.

Well, most of the time.

If she wasn't too drunk or preoccupied, that is.

Sakura was already almost an hour late, and Tsunade was getting impatient. Where the hell was that girl when you needed her? Didn't Shizune just tell her that she was needed _now_? Goodness, her apprentice was becoming as lazy as her ex-sensei and it was something that wasn't exactly considered proper behavior...

BAM!

Her thoughts were immediately interrupted as a flash of pink entered, accompanied by a flurry of nearly unintelligible words.

"I woke up on the wrong side of bed, got held up and distracted, got held up further even when I _really_ tried to get here as fast as I could and—"

What?

"—I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!"

Tsunade merely raised an eyebrow.

"You do know you're sounding more and more like your ex-sensei with those lame excuses, don't you?"

Tsunade noted that her pink-haired apprentice had turned from apologetic to stiff-backed in a matter of seconds and was not sure whether to be amused or confused.

"Mou...it isn't a lame excuse, shishou!" Sakura said in a defensive tone, pouting in annoyance. "I'm telling the truth!"

She settled on amused.

"You sure?"

Sakura pouted more—a contrast to her ever-more stiffening posture. "Shishou..."

"Right. Whatever," Tsunade replied, rolling her eyes. She would have already done some major punishing for the lateness, but she knew Sakura wasn't a slacker—so maybe she needed to cut the girl some slack.

Besides, she needed a favor.

"I have another assignment for you. Well, two, actually."

Sakura immediately brightened at the word _assignment_, green eyes effectively sparkling—

"It involves the same person as your assignment last week."

—until the words _same person_ came out. Suddenly the sparkle disappeared and the smile was instantly replaced by a frown. Tsunade tilted her head, intrigued now.

"Something wrong, Sakura?" Tsunade asked, a bit slyly.

A pause.

"No, shishou." The words were very nearly forced out.

Another pause.

"Okay, then. The first assignment—you know what this will be, don't you?"

Silence. After a while, Sakura reluctantly nodded.

"Physical exam," she bit out, pouting some more. Tsunade tried not to smirk, getting more and more curious.

What could have happened between these two?

"Good girl. Make sure he gets one now—or else you will _both_ be punished for not complying with orders. Understood?"

Yet another pause.

"H—hai."

"Good! Now, for the second assignment: you will have four days off from hospital duties..."

Sakura immediately brightened again, albeit looking surprised—

"...because you will be staying in Kakashi's apartment to monitor him. Twenty-four hours."

—and surprise instantly became shock, as her mouth dropped open.

This time there wasn't a single pause as Sakura's eyes fired up, her stance growing rigid once more.

"But shishou! I—that's—there wouldn't—it's—_I have hospital duties!_" the girl practically shrieked, looking like she couldn't even begin to believe a single word of it.

"You don't have to worry about hospital duties, Sakura. Shizune will be working there this week and there are a lot of new medics to go around, anyway."

"But I—"

"And it isn't like there are that many fatal missions these past few weeks. We can just call you if we really need you, you know."

"But shishou—"

"And you really do need the break. You've been working too hard lately."

"But—"

"And Kakashi's injured. Some weird toxic kunai, I think. He's pretty weak and he refuses to go to the hospital, as usual. It isn't—Sakura? Sakura! Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"To his apartment! I accept the mission!"

And with that, the pink-haired kunoichi left the Hokage's office with a loud, near-deafening slam of the door.

It should have irritated the Hokage—hell, it should have _angered_ her. It was a rude sort of thing to do, really, just bailing out on your mentor in the middle of her sentence like that.

Instead she sighed, muttering to herself a bit.

"And to think I was about to say it wasn't that serious of a toxin. Sheesh."

Tsunade laughed. Then, eyes glinting, she took out her extra stock of hidden sake. She mused and wondered how long it would take for the obviously-in-a-fight-close-friends to be...well, close friends again.

Probably not long. Maybe she could place a bet with Shizune on this.

She took a long, luxurious swig of the wonderful drink and closed her eyes, almost in bliss. Then she laughed again, as one particular thought entered her nice, quite-relaxed mind.

_Ahh. The joys of being the Hokage..._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It took Sakura five minutes to pack her clothes and basic necessities, and another two minutes to pack her medical kit. Taking one look at her room—which was where most of her stuff was anyway—she determined that she had packed all she needed and had not forgotten a single important thing.

Well, okay. Maybe her sanity, for the most part.

But could you really blame her?

The man was injured. Hurt. In bad condition.

Who in their right mind wouldn't be concerned?

With a huff, Sakura picked up her traveling bag (basic necessities, medical kit and all) and quickly strode down the stairs, two steps at a time. She took her keys out, ready to lock her house up and dash to where she was supposed to. She opened the door.

"Hn."

And blinked, when she found herself face-to-face with a surprised Sasuke.

She immediately dropped her bag and put a hand to her pounding heart.

"Sasuke-kun! I—you nearly scared me!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide and very curious. Since when did he seek her out on his own? "What are you doing here?"

Silence.

Okay, so maybe he didn't exactly seek her out on his own. He could have been sent to give her a message, or something like that. A mission, perhaps. Or it could have been—

"Sakura."

His blunt and familiar mention of her name brought her out of her thoughts and Sakura focused on him once again, concern now written all over her face. "What's wrong, Sasuke-kun? Did something happen? I know you've been on a mission for five days with Genma. Were you sent here to tell me something? Did something wrong happen with Naruto? Kakashi? Is—hmmf!"

And she was effectively silenced for the second time that day—this time for a very different reason.

Uchiha Sasuke was kissing her.

_Kissing_ her.

And he was closing the door, then trapping her against a wall.

Sakura's concern fell as shock immediately replaced it. She dropped her traveling bag in a daze, aware that something clinked inside, probably broken by now. Aware that it was actually the least of her concerns because there was so much more to think about.

Aware that Sasuke's tongue was now touching her lips and his hands had started caressing her hips.

Oh. My. Kami.

Before she could so much as yelp, or do something, or even so much as think, his tongue and hands vanished—as did the unfamiliar warmth of his body (hell—when had Sasuke _ever_ felt that warm?). He stepped back.

And put his hands in his pockets, resuming his ever-so-familiar Uchiha stance. A pause.

Then he spoke.

"Go out with me."

Silence.

Sakura could only stare in wide-eyed disbelief.

Was she actually hearing things right?

"I beg your pardon?" she blurted out, her mind reeling.

"Go out with me," he repeated.

Okay, so she wasn't going deaf. Apparently she did hear things right, she was sure of that now. But...wait. Stop. Back up.

He was _asking_ her out?

This could be some sort of botched-up nightmare-slash-dream, for all she knew.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

"Sakura-chan! Are you in there! Sakura-chan! I have to tell you something!"

Or maybe not.

Instantly, Sasuke stiffened, a look of pure annoyance crossing his previously unreadable face. Sakura sighed, in what might have been relief or frustration, she didn't know. She tried not to think about it and opted to just simply open the door.

Which made her raven-haired teammate glare at her, of course. But she chose to ignore that.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed, beaming so widely once Sakura had opened the door. "I am so glad you are home!"

Sasuke switched his glare to Naruto—a very noticeable glare which Naruto, bless his heart, was pretty much still so oblivious to.

"Erm...what do you want, Naruto?" Sakura asked, putting her focus on her blond teammate. Not that Sasuke and what happened wasn't important and all...

She just couldn't think about that now!

"Neh, teme! When did you get back from your mission? And why are you in Sakura-chan's house?"

Typical Naruto—to notice Sasuke only at the last minute. Sakura tried very hard not to roll her eyes.

"You're annoying, dobe."

"I am not!"

"Go away."

"What? Why would I do that?"

"Because you're an idiot."

"I am not an idiot! You are!"

"You are."

"No, you are—"

"STOP IT, BOTH OF YOU!" Sakura screamed in irritation, effectively shutting the two up. Sasuke glared hard at Naruto, then at the ceiling. Naruto folded his arms and stuck out his tongue at Sasuke.

Sakura merely sighed.

"Kami, you guys are so childish!" she complained softly.

Naruto pouted. "Neh, Sakura-chan...it's all the teme's fault."

The _teme_ shifted his glare back to Naruto.

"Whatever," Sakura interjected. Then she turned to Naruto again and gave him a pointed look. "Now, stick to the point. What do you want, Naruto?"

Naruto's expression—as usual—grew blank for a moment. Sakura's eye twitched in exasperation. Sasuke grunted in increasing annoyance. Sakura's hand slowly turned into a fist, ready to punch Naruto in case it was a messed-up message delivery all over again...

After a moment, the loudmouthed blond finally brightened, as if remembering.

"Oh, yes! I remember now!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"About time," Sakura muttered, rolling her eyes this time. "Well, what is it?"

"Kiba told me to tell you guys that he's going to have a free-for-all-rookie-nine-and-team-Gai drinking spree tonight at the pub! It's his birthday, remember?"

The fist that Sakura's hand had created softened and she heaved a sigh of relief. Well, at least that was all.

"So you guys have to come!" Naruto continued, his blue eyes sparkling in absolute joy. "We are gonna have so much fun! I'm going now to get Kakashi—"

There was a loud shriek and a clatter of footsteps, before the bag got picked up again and a flurry of pink zoomed off in what could only be called panic.

"Sakura-chan! Wha—whe—where are you going?"

Sasuke dropped his glare, looking surprised once more. Naruto eyes buggered out as his mouth fell very, very wide open. Not that Sakura noticed, of course.

She was out of the door and flying above the roofs like a barreling hurricane.

Darn it! How could she forget about her injured ex-sensei?

_Well, of course you could. Your long-time crush has suddenly put the moves on you—_

"He isn't my crush anymore!" Sakura yelled in irritation.

_Whatever. But he still kissed you and—_

"I don't care! I—I like somebody else now!"

She nearly tittered over at that. Oh, crap.

_Hah! So you admit it! You do miss that lazy pervert! You do like him! Oh, I should have known—all that refusing to examine him was plain CRAP! You still want to get in his pants—_

"SHUT UP, INNER FREAK!"

"Sakura-chan! Who are you yelling at?"

Sakura nearly tittered over again, like some clumsy fool, when she not only heard but saw, right beside her, her blond teammate.

On her left was Sasuke.

"Naruto! Sasuke-kun! Why are you—"

"We followed you! You were acting crazy!" Naruto yelled.

"I am not acting crazy! I—I just remembered something, okay?" Sakura retaliated, glaring at the blond.

"Sakura, we need to talk."

She merely shifted her glare to the other.

"Not now. Later," she said firmly.

Fortunately, they both shut up after that.

Seven minutes later, she finally reached her destination and immediately landed on the ground, her two teammates hard at her heels. She panted for a while—she could never recall running that fast her entire life (well, a few days ago not counting, when she'd been late for Tsunade).

"Neh, Sakura-chan, what are we doing in front of Kakashi-sensei's house?" Naruto asked, looking extremely bewildered.

"My assignment," Sakura said simply. "And he's not our sensei anymore, Naruto."

Not that she actually needed to add that. She just needed reassurance, really—a sign that it was okay to think differently about him now. That it was okay to dream about him, to let him invade her thoughts, and even to sometimes imagine what had transpired between them.

And to miss him.

Because yes, she did miss him.

Not that she was ever going to admit that out loud. She knocked on the door.

_I told you. I was right._

Sakura opted not to snap back at her inner idiocy—not that it was that difficult, really. She felt eager, though she didn't know why. Why was she eager? It wasn't like he'd been that away for long. Kami, what was wrong with her? She was acting like some lovesick fool, not at all like the strong and capable kunoichi-slash-medicnin that she really was. She _wasn't _in love with him—heavens forbid!

Of course not.

She really just wanted to see him, was all. And to...erm, heal him.

Of course_._

A small blush escaped her cheeks as her vivid imagination came into play again. She ruthlessly pounded it off, telling herself to focus on the worry first and deal with that dilemma later. She still had a lot to do and a lot to think about, and it certainly wasn't helping. She'd see to his injuries first. Then they'd talk. Then—

The door opened. Sakura smiled to the ground before looking up.

And the smile vanished as all thoughts, emotions and eagerness left her head, to be replaced only by one thing, one vision, one sight.

There was a mussed-up and very sexy woman standing on Kakashi's now-open door.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_a/n: Well, here's chapter 10. Sorry it took a bit long. You see, I have summer classes from Monday-Saturday (whole mornings and afternoons) and I simply became too busy. But I updated as soon as I could! I couldn't just leave this alone. :)_

_I had fun writing this, so I hope you like it. The next one will be full of weird and wacky stuff, for sure.  
_

_P.S. Thank you to those who previously reviewed!  
_

_P.P.S. I'm deliberately not mentioning here how Sakura felt about Sasuke's kiss. It's reserved for the next chapter. :)_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The woman wasn't particularly beautiful. Attractive, yes—she had reddish-blond hair and blue eyes that were the color of the sky. She had an evenly-tanned skin tone, one that looked like it was touched by light gold and glinted with smoothness and creaminess. She had thin, shapely lips. Pretty feet. Mile-high legs.

And curves that Sakura would have died to have.

She wasn't jealous. She _wasn't._ Hell, no. She was just...irked.

Yes, that was it.

Nothing she couldn't handle.

"Keisa," Sakura intoned, giving the woman a surprised stare. Of all the people to see in Kakashi's house...it had to be _her?_

This was, after all, the woman who tried to get all the people at the hospital thinking that she (Keisa) and Sasuke were dating—which Sakura knew for a fact wasn't at all true, considering Sasuke had _never_ dated before. This woman started the rumor that Sakura was sleeping around—which Sakura was _absolutely_ positive was so not true (hell, no!). Hell, even Ino had been offended. It took Sakura days to finally convince the blonde not the give the other a black eye.

And now this?

"Sakura." Keisa looked surprised for a while as well, her eyes going a bit wide. Then she looked Sakura in the eye and for a moment she seemed to go very still, her expression going through a slight dawning of comprehension.

Then the surprise vanished, and she smirked.

Very, very triumphantly.

It was all Sakura could do not to just reach out and smack the self-satisfied expression away.

"What are you doing here?" Sakura asked, her voice mild. She tried to look nonchalant, as if this were an everyday occurrence and nothing that she should be surprised about.

Keisa kept on smirking, looking like the cat that had a full lap of milk inside its belly. "Oh. I was just...checking up. On Kakashi-kun."

Kakashi-kun?

And why did the tone sound so mischievous?

"What are _you_ doing here?" Keisa countered, raising an eyebrow in mock curiosity.

Sakura raised an eyebrow back. "I don't believe that's any of your business, Keisa."

Keisa's eyes widened at that. Sakura almost cheered in glee. Okay, so she was acting like a child—but the damn woman was getting on her nerves! Who did she think she was, trying to act all mighty and superior like some kind of overindulged queen? And why was she even standing here, at the place where she wasn't supposed to be in? It was irritating, it was annoying, it was—

"Sakura?"

—not Keisa's voice anymore.

Suddenly all irritation and thoughts left Sakura again as her vision turned away from Keisa and focused on the one person who had just come to the door, dressed in nothing but his mask and sweatpants.

Really low-hung, muscle-revealing sweatpants.

Kakashi.

And he did not look the least bit guilty.

Sakura stiffened, wondering why her stomach was suddenly lurching so horribly.

"Neh, Kakashi, who is this woman?" Naruto's voice interrupted the very tense air, leaving Sakura stiffening up more—not that the loudmouth noticed, of course. He was busy gawking at Keisa in awe, then gawking at Kakashi as if he couldn't believe there was a girl in her ex-sensei's apartment. Sasuke remained silent, his onyx eyes observing.

Instantly, as if the blond's voice was the trigger, Keisa lost the triumphant smirk on her face. She smiled innocently, showing brilliant white teeth in the process.

"Oh, I'm Keisa," she said brightly. "I'm a nurse at Konoha Hospital. Hello, Naruto-kun...Sasuke-kun."

Naruto remained gawking.

Sasuke remained observing.

Sakura began glaring.

Especially after the hideous woman put her hand on Kakashi's arm, as if it belonged there.

Like _hell_ it did.

"Hello, Keisa-chan!" Naruto chirped, beaming after a moment. "You seem like a nice person! I bet you guys are sleeping together! You are, aren't you?"

Keisa flushed.

Sasuke continued observing.

Sakura glared some more.

"It's none of our business, Naruto," Sakura snapped, turning a cool stare at Kakashi. The damn man merely looked at her, his expression unreadable.

"What are you guys doing here?" Kakashi asked after a few seconds.

"Mou...I don't know, Kakashi..." Naruto drawled, looking confused. He seemed to have forgotten that no one had bothered to answer his question. "You should ask Sakura-chan. She made us follow her here."

"I didn't ask you to follow me here," Sakura countered, glaring at Naruto. Then at Sasuke. "_Both _of you."

Sasuke merely eyed her back. "Then what are we here for, Sakura?"

Silence.

"Sakura?" Kakashi prodded in a quiet voice.

Reluctantly, Sakura opened her mouth, about to answer. But Keisa interrupted.

"Sakura," she said sweetly, "if you're here to take care of Kakashi's injuries, you don't have to. He called me earlier, you see. So I've already...healed him."

Sasuke's eyebrow raised.

Keisa's eyes glinted.

And Sakura?

She got red.

Her vision, that is.

Before she could think any more, she suddenly acted. Grip tightening on both medical kit and bag, she tossed them without further ado at Kakashi. _Hard_. Then she smiled. Very, very dazzlingly.

"Oh, that's a relief!" she chirped, putting on the most convincing happy expression she could. "Shishou asked me to take care of you for four days, but it looks like I don't have to be around twenty-four hours, do I?" She glanced at Keisa for a while, then back at Kakashi.

She smiled some more. "Well, I guess my advice is for you to just stay home. Recuperate! So...that's it! See you later!"

She turned around— only to find both Naruto and Sasuke staring at her.

"Neh, Sakura-chan, where are you going?"

Sakura smiled wider. Dear Kami, her jaws were starting to ache. "Why, to Kiba's party, of course. With my date."

"Date?" Naruto exclaimed, eyes widening. "Who's your date?"

Ah. The key question.

She felt someone tense behind her—though she couldn't be sure if it was the male or the female. She ignored that, as well as the loud drumming of her heart.

Instead she gazed at Sasuke and sweetly touched his arm. Then she winked.

That was answer enough.

A pause. Then...

"WHAT! YOU'RE DATING THE TEME! SAKURA-CHAN! WHATEVER HAPPENED TO TASTE?"

And that was as far as Naruto got before he got two big black splotches on his lovely blue eyes.

And both weren't from Sakura.

She was too busy walking away and fussing over her beloved Sasuke-kun.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The moment Sakura and the gang left, Keisa closed the door and leaned against it, annoyance flitting over her pretty features. She sighed once. Then she turned her gaze to Kakashi and let the annoyance fade.

Not that Kakashi noticed much, anyway.

Silently, he turned around and went to deposit the bag and kit to his living room.

"Kakashi-kun?"

He felt a hand on his shoulder. Being a gentleman (especially to the one who had just healed his injuries), he turned back around to face her.

Keisa was smiling again. A great smile, if he had to be honest. Her blue eyes were starting to smolder—a trait that he knew meant lust, or the start of it.

He began seeing different eyes. Green ones.

Her hand had flickered down, toying with the top button of her nurse's outfit. Her other hand slid from his shoulder to his chest, the fingers spreading.

He began imagining different hands. Soft, ivory-pale ones.

She stepped closer, putting her lips near his ear. She blew. At the same time, she tugged the first button open.

"Let's get down to business, Kakashi-kun," she purred, voice seductively low.

He began hearing a different voice. A softer one.

Was it wrong to think about her this way? To feel about her this way? To get upset and mad and disappointed at her finding someone else? It wasn't his business. It never was. She would never be his. He couldn't allow himself to taint her.

No, not when she was still so innocent.

"Kiss me, Kakashi-kun. I'll make all your pain go away..."

When Keisa's hand traveled down, onto his stomach and lower, he gripped her wrist, pulling it back up. He gently moved it away.

Smirking, Keisa stepped back. Then she proceeded to muss up her hair more and began opening the remaining buttons of her clothes. Her lips parted, her eyes closed. She moaned.

Kakashi watched as she let the clothes fall off her body, revealing luscious curves and skin that any men would have died to touch. To taste.

He did not feel a thing.

She stepped closer again, putting her arms around his neck. She kissed his masked jaw.

He began imagining different lips there.

"You know you want this, Kakashi-kun..."

She pressed closer, the heat in her body seeping through him. She kissed him some more, her hands traveling everywhere. Quietly, Kakashi closed his own eyes.

He didn't stop her.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, happy birthday, happy—_hic!_—birthday to you!"

A giggle was heard, followed by the joyous clapping of hands.

Then the song began again.

"Happy birthday to you! Happ—_hic!_—birthday to y—"

"For Kami's sake, Forehead—would you knock it off once and for all!"

Sakura merely giggled again. Then she proceeded to pump her fist in the air and down another glass of red wine—all in one, very large gulp.

Ino glared and abruptly took the empty (but only temporarily) glass away.

"He—_hic!_—eeey!" Sakura protested, trying to snatch the glass back. She glared in return. "I was—_hic!_—drinking that!"

"You were swallowing it like a baboon, that's what!" Ino countered, raising an eyebrow. She sighed when Sakura managed to get the glass and put some more wine in it.

A giggle was heard again. "Oh! Baboon! I—_hic!_—know that word! That's the—_hic!_—one that I used to call Kakashiiiii..."

"Well, he could be sometimes," Ino muttered, rolling her eyes. She was about to comment on something else when suddenly, Sakura's brilliant smile faded—and she immediately burst into tears.

The blonde panicked.

"Oh, Kami! Darn it, Forehead!" she nearly yelled, taking the glass away again and shoving it to the farthest end of the table. "What the hell is the matter with you? Oh, Kami, don't cry like that, please, it's—"

"It's his fault!" Sakura sobbed drunkenly, ignoring Ino. They were the only ones outside the back patio, much to Ino's dismay (or relief—Ino wasn't sure which way to feel). "He—he left me at the hospital and he left me for his stupid mission and now—_hic!_—he has another woman in his aparrrtmeeent! That—_hic!—_damn stupid nuurrseee!"

A pause, albeit the weird sobbing. Then...

Ino exploded.

"Alright! Do you want me to castrate him or to cut her head off?" she snarled, eyes flashing. Her hands fisted, and she stood up from her seat immediately. "Your call, Forehead—though I really prefer removing that bitch's red hair off her stupid head."

Sakura's sobbing stopped. She began giggling hysterically (and drunkenly) again. Then she turned back to sobbing. Then giggling some more.

Ino's anger drained away as she saw the mess the poor girl seemed to be really in. Darn it. The blonde sighed once more and sat back down, wondering why she even let the other drink.

The girl was _crazy._

_Or maybe...crazy in love?_

Was it even possible?

"I assume we're not talking about your date for the night, are we?" Ino asked softly. At the back of her hand, she began getting the glass back—and quietly filling it up with the grape juice found at the juice bottle on the table.

Really convenient juice bottle, by the way.

"N—_hic!—_ooo...Sasuke-kun has been wooondeeerful..."

A pause.

"But you don't have feelings for him."

"I never—_hic!—_said that! I could have, for all you know!"

Ino smirked. "Kakashi's really great."

Instantly, Sakura's face crumpled again. The blonde cursed herself for even thinking of saying it. But it had to be done, for her best friend's sake.

"He is —_hic!—_a jerk!" Sakura yelled, lips trembling.

"Yes, yes, all men are," Ino cooed, patting Sakura's back and offering the glass of juice. Sakura automatically took it and drank, not even noticing that it wasn't wine anymore. "But you still like him."

"He's a babbbooon!"

"Yes, we've covered that already. And you still wanna jump him."

"Of—_hic!—_course! I want him to—_hic!_—go to hell!"

Ino wondered which statement Sakura really meant. She settled for the former.

"Okay, now, let's get those hiccups away. Then let's get you home so you can...rest. You need it, sweetie."

She filled the glass with juice again (making sure to keep the wine bottle out of view) and made Sakura drink. Sakura complied, almost meekly.

After some seconds, Ino stood up. Then she gave Sakura's arms a big, blunt pull.

"Heeeyy—"

"Off we go, Forehead," Ino stated, slinging Sakura's one arm over her shoulder. She staggered a bit at the weight, but managed to balance them both until her own feet were steady. "Let's get you home."

"I—I'm not staying home now..."

_Exactly._

"Good, you're not hiccuping anymore. I meant your temporary home, sweetie. And let's use the garden door, if you please. I don't want anyone interrupting."

"M—my date..."

"Oh, let's leave that other unemotional baboon for a while, shall we? We have another destination to cover."

"O-kaayy..."

And Ino definitely did not want the mighty Uchiha Sasuke around for this. Nope.

Not with the plan she had in mind.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_a/n: I don't know if you noticed, but Naruto forgot to invite Kakashi to the party. Lol._

_Please forgive me for the faulty grammar. I wasn't able to edit it anymore *it's nearly 3 am here*. But as promised, this chapter's posted earlier than the previous one.  
_

_Have fun reading. And please review if you can, guys. :)_

_P.S. I know I said earlier that I'll reveal some Sasuke moments here, but it looks like I have to move that *my idea sort of changed in the middle of writing this chapter*. Later, it might just happen._


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_She kissed his masked jaw again, as if concentrating on the taste there. It should have excited him, because on ordinary days, when there was no one around but him and a willing woman...this would have been a hell of a way of releasing tension._

_But that was before one other girl came into his senses. Into his mind._

_Into his heart._

_Her hands continued skimming his neck, tracing soft circles there. Then they came down, settling on his warm chest. Down, on his stomach. Down...on his sweatpants._

_He should be aroused. Excited. Feeling something. Anything._

_Instead, there was nothing. He would never feel a thing._

_Perhaps it was already a curse._

_Firmly, he gripped her wandering hands again, pulling them away from his clothing. Then he stepped away and sighed.  
_

"_I think you should go, Keisa."_

_The woman looked surprised for a moment, then confused. She stared at him, her mouth dropping open._

"_You...you don't want me?"_

No.

"_The hospital might still be needing your skills at this moment," he said instead. "You should go now, then."_

_Her blue eyes widened. Her whole face flushed. She looked at him as if he had just told her to go jump off the bridge—or something to that effect, anyway._

_He merely smiled, eyes crinkling._

"_Thanks for the gracious offer to heal me, Keisa. It's much appreciated."_

_There was an undignified, disbelieving splutter._

"_I—you—you want me!"_

"_Mou...I do want you to heal me—which is why I said yes when you offered to do it. Your healing skills are exceptional."_

_Of course, not as exceptional as someone else. But he couldn't really dwell on that._

_There was another louder splutter._

"_And—and that's it?"_

"_Keisa, what are you talking about?"_

_Her eyes flashed. They didn't look the least bit glazed or lust-filled now—instead they looked angry, and what he could only recognize as spiteful. She very nearly sneered, baring her teeth in a rather unattractive way. "It's her, isn't it? It's that damn pinky bitch—"_

"_Don't talk about her that way," he interrupted softly, voice mild. However, there was steel underneath—even she could hear the warning._

_Silence._

_She glared._

_He stared._

_Then she grabbed her clothes, wore them back on and stalked off, leaving him in her angry wake and slamming the door as loud as she could._

_It didn't shake his apartment at all._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Damn, Kakashi. Are you just gonna mope here all night long, like some pathetic old man who's got nothing better to do?"

"I am not moping," Kakashi replied, voice tired—a rarity these days.

Genma smirked.

"And I am not old. Nor pathetic," Kakashi added as an afterthought.

Genma grinned.

"Right. So why exactly are you not coming with me to have some nice sake at the bar—on a warm, wonderful evening, I might add?"

"Not in the mood. Tired from injuries."

Silence. In that silence, one translation was practically screaming right at his face.

_Leave me alone. Now._

Like hell Genma would do that. Instead he grinned some more, tilting his head as he regarded the deceptively calm Copy nin in curiosity.

He'd been in Kakashi's apartment for quite a while now, trying to convince the perpetually stubborn man to get out from the little cave he was hibernating in. Really—was it that difficult to go out, get some sake and have some fun?

Sigh. Apparently it was. It was like trying to move a mountain from east to west with your bare, chakra-less hands. In other words, a challenge.

And there was nothing Genma liked more than facing a good ol' challenge.

"You know," Genma said, his voice contemplative, "I expected you to look relaxed and satisfied after that lush nurse left your apartment this morning. So...I assume she wasn't that good in bed, huh?"

Silence.

"Or maybe you didn't reach the bed, because you were too busy getting it on in the floor..."

More silence.

"...or the wall..."

Si-lence.

"But then again...maybe you hadn't slept with her at all."

Still silence.

"Probably not your type, huh?"

"And since when have you been particularly interested in my sex life?"

Ah. And the man talks.

Genma smirked again, considering it a small victory.

Yes, the man in question may have been lazily sitting in his living room sofa chair, his lovely orange smut in his hands. His mask was in place, as were his sweatpants and a gray shirt. He looked casual.

Genma knew better, of course.

He _always_ did.

"I'm always interested, Hatake," Genma replied, grinning lecherously. "Too bad, though—if I were in your position, I would probably be already screwing that woman's brains out from morning til' now."

"Then go do your thing and stop bothering me."

"So you really didn't bend her over some table and—"

"No, didn't, now go away and let me sleep."

Genma raised an eyebrow. "No offense, but you don't look like you're going to sleep."

Silence. Again.

"Probably gonna imagine...someone while reading that book, huh?"

More silence.

Silence.

Silence.

Silence.

Genma sighed. Okay, so maybe this challenge was proving to be a bit hard, considering who he was dealing with here. Man, he needed some sake. And some women. Moaning and screaming his name, preferably.

After all, he hadn't had those in five days.

"Well, it's your loss, if you don't really wanna come..."

"No."

Genma sighed mockingly, rolling his eyes. "Whoo-pee. You, my man, are officially a lost cause. Well, see you around, pal. I'll have my fun now."

Kakashi simply nodded, his eyes trained almost meticulously on the pages of his book. With a salute, Genma walked away and left the Copy nin to his own devices.

Sake first, then some sex.

Then maybe he could finally think of ways to get his pal some much-needed relaxation.

Yup. Maybe he'd do that.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ino wasn't really sure how her plan was going to work. Hell, she wasn't even sure if it could be considered a plan. There were many things running through her mind, and at the moment nothing was certain. She wasn't even sure if she should really be doing this, if she should even be entertaining this crazy idea that was going through her head. Alright—_spinning_ through her head.

It could very well be a mistake if she wasn't careful.

First off, there were lots of complications. The first complication would have to be Sakura herself. Was this really what her pink-haired best friend wanted? Sure, Kakashi was hot, and probably to be trusted too (considering the guy had been Sakura's sensei and protector for years). And no doubt, Ino knew he would be good in bed—men like him _always_ are. It was no wonder Sakura had gotten attracted to him. Ino was just surprised it took the girl this long to figure that out.

The second complication was Kakashi. Until now, Ino didn't really know what the guy was about, especially after what Sakura had just blurted out in her earlier drunken state. Of all people, did it have to be _Keisa_?

Sure, the girl was hot—even Ino wasn't biased enough not to see that. But hell, the girl was a good-for-nothing, attention-seeking, dirty-gossip-creating slut! She was jealous of Sakura, always had been—probably because no matter how the woman tried, no matter what the woman did, she would never, ever come close to Sakura's skills, especially as ninja and medic. Or inner beauty. Or personality.

Or uniqueness, for that matter.

In other words, Sakura was just plain hotter, sweeter. Kinder. And Keisa seemed to resent that with all her green-coated heart.

So the question now was: why did Kakashi even bother to seduce Sakura one day, then jump some random woman (and a wicked one at that!) the next? Was sex all the guy was after? Did he not even care what Sakura would feel?

If it was Ino, if some guy she was attracted to did that to her...well, then, _to hell_ with the guy—she would easily move on to the next, because life was simpler that way.

But Sakura was Sakura. Sakura wasn't Ino. And Ino knew, without a doubt, that whoever Sakura slept with, it wouldn't be random. It wouldn't be casual. She would be giving that guy a piece of her heart. So before that happened, Ino needed answers—preferably from the baboon.

She only hoped the close-mouthed baboon would talk.

"Ino-Pig...where are—we going? Where are—you taking—me?"

"Away from all the liquor, preferably," Ino quipped dryly, trying not to grimace at the extra weight of an arm on her shoulder. Thank Kami the girl had stopped madly swaying and hiccuping. It was getting kind of annoying.

"But I—wanna drink..." Sakura whined, her head lolling closer to Ino's shoulder. She made kissy noises, giggling every once in a while. Ino merely rolled her eyes and focused on the destination at hand.

It was then that she noticed the front door opening, closing. And out came a guy, hands on pockets and whistling a merry, whimsical tune through the senbon perpetually situated in his mouth.

Ino's eyes immediately narrowed. Calculated.

Gleamed.

"Genma-san, " she called, voice sweet and flirty—and cajoling.

Maybe there was another way to get the answers after all.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_A few minutes later..._

_There was a knock on his door. He ignored it. Another knock. More knocks._

_He kept on ignoring and kept on reading. Word for word. Page after page._

_The knock persisted. Increased._

_More._

_He sighed and tried to tune it out._

_Then the voice came._

"_Kakashi...let me—in..."_

_He froze. He stilled. His eyes went up._

_Then he stood up._

_And he opened the door._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kakashi stared at his ex-student quietly. Her pink hair was tumbling gloriously down the tips of her shoulders, and her skin was flushed. She was wearing another short, silk black dress, one that left little to one's imagination. Her eyes...they were a darkened green, both smoldering and bewitching.

Then he saw that they were also blurry.

She was drunk, that much was painfully obvious. And he craved her, like he craved no woman before. Hell, like a man dying of thirst.

_She's taken. She's forbidden._

_Don't do this._

He had to control himself. For both their sakes.

With an effort, Kakashi tried to ignore how she looked and get to the matter at hand.

"Sakura, why the hell did you go and get yourself wasted?" he growled, in the most teacher-like fashion he could. He would have folded his arms and finished it with a strict look, but she was already swaying in front of him. Instinctively, he reached out, grabbing her arms gently to balance her.

Sakura giggled and playfully batted her eyelashes at him.

"Hello to you, too, Kakashiii..." she murmured softly, placing her head on his shoulder. "Did you know—I had such a—blast!"

"It looks like it. Had a nice time, didn't you?"

"Ooh—it was—the best!" she hiccuped. "You really should have been—there—you—know..."

"And get as drunk as you? Nah. I think I'll pass."

"But it was—so—fun!"

"Maybe next time, Sakura. Now let's get you to bed. I'll take the couch."

Kakashi pulled Sakura from the door, closing it. But before he could take another step, she suddenly slapped his hand away and made a quick, drunken beeline for the living room. As it was his first time seeing her drunk, he merely shrugged his shoulders. Then he sighed and went to follow her.

"Sakura, come on. It's not funny. You really should re—oofh!"

His words stopped as the pillow hit him straight on the face. He looked up in surprise. Sakura was eyeing him mischievously, her hands on her mouth to stop another giggle from erupting.

Okay, so she was _kinda_ funny when wasted. Bizarre, but funny.

"Okay. You're really, really getting weird, Sakura," Kakashi mused.

Sakura shrugged, then walked towards him again. She swayed once, twice, before managing to put her hands on his chest.

"I'm not weird. I'm sexy," she said, in an almost conspirational manner.

"Right. Time for bed, sweetheart," he said, then winced. Sweetheart? Sighing again, he took her hand and directed her toward his bedroom.

He tried to ignore the way she smelled. The way she felt. Soft. Alluring.

Wonderful.

_Ignore it._

_Don't do this._

"You don't think—I'm sexy."

Great. Now how was he supposed to answer that?

Kakashi settled for a mere grunt of disagreement.

"You don't," she insisted, narrowing her eyes at him. "But I am. Do you—know what I did—tonight?"

"You mean other than drinking a whole case of sake?"

"It was a whole—bottle of red wine. Not sake. Sake is cheapp..."

"Okay. If you say so." Maybe he could just humor her until he could tuck her in to sleep—and control himself from climbing in after her. He continued guiding her, careful in maneuvering her from some scattered objects on the floor.

"And I'm not cheap. I'm a grown-up—woman now..."

"Okay."

"Do you know what I did tonight?"

"No, Sakura. I don't, sorry."

"I let gorgeous guys—kiss me. Lots—of them..."

Kakashi stopped in his tracks. In an instant, his head whipped to stare at her mouth. It was swollen, which only meant...no, it couldn't be. The thought made him narrow his eyes and made something very uncomfortable settle in the pit of his stomach. He very nearly growled. "Sakura. That's not proper behavior—"

"Haha I was kidding! Kid—ding! Hahaha!"

The discomfort in his stomach faded.

"Sakura—"

"Do you—think I'm sexy?"

Okay. This was going _nowhere._

"Sakura, let's get you to sleep—"

"Because if you don't...I could seduce—you. Right now."

He had sudden visions of Sakura plastered all over him. Under him. Moaning. Moving. Touching. Oh, crap. He was losing it. Kakashi grit his teeth.

Hell, what was he thinking?

He banked the visions away and tried to ignore the fact that his gut was now churning—and not in a bad way.

_Control yourself, man. Don't do this._

"Stop it, Sakura," he reprimanded, trying to be stern. His voice came out rough, dry.

"Okay. I'll stop—talking then."

Then, before he could figure out what she meant by what she said, she moved—lightning fast. Suddenly, Sakura was lurching herself at him, and they stumbled towards the wall, his back on it. This time his visions came back, and he felt the churning in his gut turn to a white-hot pumping.

Then she was kissing him, and every ounce of blood was suddenly draining out of his head.

"Damn it, Sakura—" he said thickly, trying to pry her away. Her mouth was so hot, her body so soft and tight...it made desire run all over his system. He was instantly aroused as hell, instantly hard as iron.

Instantly yearning. Needing.

But this wasn't right.

"This isn't—"

"Oh, I want you, Kakashi...I—want you..." Sakura closed her eyes and murmured it sensually, her body sliding slickly, rubbing all over his. "I need—you..."

"Sakura—we can't." He tried to pry her away again, almost desperately. But Sakura continued touching him with her soft hands. And her mouth.

Then she pulled him and pushed him sideways—hard. Before he could regain his balance, they were both tumbling on the rugged floor, with her on top of him.

She giggled softly, wonderfully. Then she continued raining kisses down his masked mouth, his ears. His eyes crossed.

What was a man supposed to do? She was hot and slick, and practically humming all over him. Her dress hiked up when she straddled him and his hands were suddenly on them. On her legs. He couldn't help it—his blood was screaming for her.

Only her.

"Sakura—"

_Stop. Stop this. Stop it before it's too late. Don't do this._

Struggling, Kakashi rolled over and easily pinned her down. Then he stared at her, furiously trying to control himself. "You know this could change everything. We can't—"

She interrupted him by arching her hips, making his eyes go blurry.

"You want me—as much as—I want you. I need you—inside me—Kakashi...touch me...just shut up...and touch me..."

She kissed him fervently, willing him to respond.

"Make love with me...I want—your hands—all over me...Kakashi..."

His desire was surging in uncontrollable waves now. Dangerous waves. He was hot, tight, needy—and he couldn't do anything against it. Kakashi felt himself losing his will, losing the battle, as he started losing himself in her scent, her texture...her flavor. She was everything.

And he was sinking. Drowning in her.

She was probably going to hate him in the morning, but right now, his sanity was gone, and he didn't care. On a groan, he finally gave in. He took off his mask. Tore it.

Then his mouth, hard and hot, took and crushed hers.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_a/n: Alright, I need to cut this...so I can continue it on the next chapter! Can't wait. *winks* :D_

_Have fun reading!_


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

She wasn't that drunk. No, Sakura knew she wasn't...well, okay, she was _hoping _she wasn't. The grape juice had taken its effect, along with the cold night air breezing through her skin on that long, confusing walk from some party (who's party was that again?) to this...place. She could already very well feel, and see, and hear properly, and make use of her bodily senses—though, at the moment, it was getting to be very, very difficult.

Especially when he was the one surrounding it.

Engulfing it.

His mouth was so hot, so firm. So skillful. They latched onto hers so abruptly, so quickly, that she was still in shock, still couldn't comprehend how it happened, just like that—at the moment, all she could do was feel. Sure, she was the one who seduced him (she _did _seduce him, didn't she? Her mind still didn't seem to be functioning very well...)...but why did it feel like she was the one being seduced?

Kakashi's tongue came out, touching her lips. Asking for entrance. She opened her mouth, easily giving it to him. Their tongues mingled, a sensual dance. It made her moan, and clutch onto his neck tighter.

"Sakura."

His voice was low, and very, very rough-sounding. Raspy.

"Yes?" She closed her eyes, letting her hands leave his neck, trailing them down on his chest. She laid both palms there, feeling something beating very loudly.

"You're—drunk," His mouth left her mouth, streaking down to her right ear. He nibbled.

"No..." Her hands trailed down again, resting on the edges of his gray shirt. She sighed in pleasure.

"You are." His mouth went down, stopping at the side of her neck. He put kisses there, making her tilt her head to give him better access. His hands, which were gripping her waist, eased away. One eased up, until it reached the spot where her breasts were. A finger touched the side.

"It—doesn't—matter..." She moaned again, as his fingers slowly reached out. Until his large hand caressed and cupped one breast, kneading it. Her hands tightened, digging into his skin. She let herself touch his skin, through the light shirt, and feel the hot muscles.

"You...you think?" His mouth went to her throat, his tongue flicking every now and then. His thumb grazed on a covered nipple, feeling it stiffening under his touch. His other hand trailed down, fingers rubbing soft circles on her hipbone.

"Yes..." She arched into his hand, wanting the touch. Her hands streaked under his shirt, settling on his stomach. His stomach jumped, his breathing getting faster.

"Yes, what?" His mouth trailed up again, going back to her mouth. His teeth nibbled her lips, while his one hand left her breast—only to touch her shoulder strap, slowly bringing it down. He brought the other strap down as well, down to her stomach, revealing her black, lacey bra. He flicked her nipple again, through the bra. She arched again. His other hand left her hip, stopping under her knee. He slowly, gently pulled one up.

"I—I don't know..." Her hands left his skin, and went up to grip his hair. So soft. So touchable. She nibbled his lips back.

"Okay." And then he stopped talking, and moved fast.

The hand touching her nipple left, and went behind her to unclasp her bra. A slight flicker, and it was removed, revealing to him her round, perky breasts. Creamy breasts, capped with rosy, hardened nipples. His mouth left hers, and he stared down, his eyes darkening.

Then his head dipped, and he took one nipple into mouth that had suddenly gone hungrier.

She moaned louder, gripped his hair tighter. And she cried out his name, in a broken whisper.

"Ka—ka—shi..."

His other hand left her knee, and went to cup her other breast. A thumb flicked the nipple again, then softly pinched it. His mouth tugged on her other nipple. His teeth grazed it.

Then his tongue came out, tasting the aroused peak.

She bucked, and cried out his name again.

Then the sensations began to continuously assault her.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

He was barely touching her. Barely touching her, and look what was happening.

She was bucking, and crying out his name, and clutching on so tightly, as if for dear life. Her skin was so hot, as if she was on fire. It felt like burning silk, so smooth, so silky, that he could run his hands all over it all day long. He wanted to. She tasted wonderful, too—like something that he wanted to have in his tongue, in his mouth, all the time.

Delicious.

And he couldn't get enough.

Slowly, Kakashi put his mouth on her other breast, loving the texture. The taste. He suckled, aroused—making her move and squirm beneath him. Making him want her all the more. The friction was too much to bear, that he felt if this went on any longer, things would go faster than he had originally planned.

She was a virgin. He had to remember that.

Wanting to control himself, he let his mouth move down, trailing soft kisses on other parts of her body, her skin. Down, on her stomach—he felt it jump, and it turned him on all the more. Down, just below her navel. Down, on her left hip—

"Ka—ka—shi!"

She arched again, all but pushing her body into him.

Alright, this wasn't helping.

He was hardening very, very dangerously.

"Sakura—" He stopped above her pulled-down dress, right beside her hipbone. He gritted his teeth to keep himself from furthering down.

"It—it feels—wonderful, Kakashiii..." she moaned.

He groaned at that. In a flash, he was up again, and plundering her mouth in desperate hunger. She replied by kissing him with equal fervor, and letting her hands fall and caress his neck softly.

What was he trying to say again?

Oh, yeah.

"Sakura—" Unconsciously, his mouth went to her jaws, licking and nibbling there. His hands went down again, one on her hip, the other touching the edges of her skirt.

Slowly, that hand went inside, up, lifting the skirt up with him.

"...yes, Ka—kashi?"

Slowly, the hand went higher, rubbing her outer thigh. Then...inner thigh.

What did he want to say again?

"Sakura, I—"

His hand went up, up...up. Up, until they reached what was considered to be her most precious asset. His fingers accidentally grazed, feeling the silkiness of cloth, along with...something else.

He forgot all about thinking.

"Sakura—you're soaked."

"I...what?"

"Soaked," he groaned, lust immediately intensifying. As if to prove his point, his fingers grazed her thong again, feeling the wetness.

She immediately bucked up, moaning louder than ever.

He couldn't help it. He couldn't help it anymore.

Without thought, Kakashi cupped her, through the thin thong. She bucked again, her body shuddering from head to toes. He rubbed, kept on rubbing. At the back of his mind, he knew he was going to be damned for this, but he couldn't seem to figure out the reason why.

_To hell with that._

He inserted a finger inside.

"Oh—oh!"

She convulsed.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

His finger had barely touched her. Barely touched her, and look what was happening.

She was acting like a sex-crazed, embarrassingly first-timer maniac.

"I—I'm sorry, I..."

She tried to withdraw from him, to back away. But he held her still, so close to him, that she could breathe in his scent all over again. Someone was breathing in short, ragged pants—she wasn't sure if it was her, or him.

"Don't be."

His finger pushed inside again, just at the outer portion of her opening. Before she could so much as moan, he was sitting up, and taking her with him—she ended up straddling his legs, her knees wide open—her skirt had completely hiked up, her dress bunched all around her small waist. His one hand was on her back, as if to support her.

The other was still down there.

Without warning, the finger that was barely touching, slid in. In, touching her moist core. In, touching her wetness.

In, deep in the recesses of her being.

Her back arched, a perfect arc. She gasped loudly, her eyes opening widely, brilliantly. When his finger moved, twisting and rubbing slickly inside her, those green eyes nearly rolled back, almost disappearing behind her eyelids. She threw her head back, exposing a column of her throat—he took advantage, instantly putting kisses on it.

His finger continued moving, sliding in and out in a steady pace. She kept on moaning, and kept on gasping, unable to control the sounds from coming out. She closed her eyes in pleasure, in ecstacy.

Another finger was inserted—her sounds only got louder. Before she knew it, her hips were rotating, moving in rhythm with his thrusts. She was clenching and unclenching, wetting his fingers while she did so. Their kisses had grown hungrier, and her hands had grown bolder, along with his. There was a roaring in her head—possibly the blood moving southward, but she couldn't be sure. She didn't particularly care. All she knew was that she loved this, she wanted this, and there was nothing but the feeling of heaven, waiting deep inside the coiled-up heat from hell.

And then, it happened.

Suddenly her body convulsed, again, as those particular fingers hit something within her that had that coiled-up, building heat exploding in a wonderfully huge jolt, spreading liquid fire to her core—and it was a particularly hard convulsion.

She screamed his name this time.

Her hips jerked, and her eyeballs did roll back. He swallowed her screams, before lying them both down again, and trailing that hot mouth on her lips, on her tongue, on her throat...on her nipple once more. He suckled desperately. His one hand tightened on her back, pulling her closer to him. The other remained inside still. He kept still, pinning her with his weight as the shuddering wracks overcame her.

There were colors in her eyes.

She was flying.

She never wanted to fall back down.

After long seconds, the wracking turned to shuddering, and the shuddering went back to shivering. The colors in her eyes vanished, to be replaced by the vision of something silver, something tangled and flying almost everywhere near her face. There was breathing near her ear, still harsh, but controlled.

Slowly, his fingers withdrew, trailing down one thigh...before vanishing altogether.

"K...Kakashi?"

She blinked a few times, until she saw his face, so clear and so handsome. His eyes—those beautiful, mesmerizing eyes—were focused on her, and still very dark. Unreadable.

His lips curved to the side, the smile barely visible.

"Go to sleep, Sakura," he mumbled, voice still a bit hoarse.

"Wh...what?" Unthinkingly, her fingers went to his jaw, tracing the curve there. She felt his teeth clench, but he said nothing.

For a moment, something flashed in his one eye—was it...regret? Satisfaction? She couldn't be sure, because the haze of her orgasm and her lust—and yes, the alcohol—was still there, fogging up her mind, as well as her senses. She began feeling sleepy. Slowly, Sakura closed her eyes, wanting to rest them for a while.

"Kaka...shi...?"

"I...on't...an...yo...run...hen...is...ens..."

She couldn't hear him much anymore. What was he muttering about? What was he saying?

As sleep and fatigue overtook her, two things simultaneously registered in her mind. First, something warm and soft gently settling on her cheek...and second, something equally warm, but hard, cuddling up to her body.

Then she let herself succumb to the blissful, peaceful darkness.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"_I don't want you drunk when this happens."_

The moment she was asleep, Kakashi stood up from the floor, and gently carried her toward his bed, all the while trying to ignore her nakedness, or her softness, or her warmth—or the way she smelled and tasted, for that matter. It did not help at all thinking about how she had felt against him, how delicious it all was. How...unforgettable.

And he wanted more.

Kami, he _needed_ more.

Most of all, he tried to ignore the way she snuggled up to him—one hand near the tip of her breast, and the other fisted near his throat. She moaned softly into his neck, her breathing even. She shifted, every now and then.

Gently, he lay her down and covered her up with a blanket. She sighed again, lashes delicately fluttering, before snuggling deeper into the covers. He let his hand linger on her exposed, silkened neck for a moment, before he covered that up, too. His eyes went to her lips—so soft, so swollen, all because of him and the kisses they shared.

He wanted one more. Just one.

It wouldn't hurt, right?

Slowly, Kakashi sat on the side of the bed, and bent down, letting his breath touch her cheek for a while. Then, he let the same breath touch her lips.

He kissed her once more.

It was soft, and it was sweet, and when she opened her mouth with a small sigh and let him in, he felt like he was sinking again—sinking into something deep and dark and unchartered that he still had no idea of, but wanted very much to sink into.

It was a frightening, absolutely frightening thought.

They kissed that way, her in her sleep, and him in his bliss—until there was nothing existing but just them, and the world was slowly, ever so slowly falling away. Until he found himself clutching the bedcovers tightly, as if hoping it could be his anchor from drowning. From insanity.

It took all of his willpower to pull back, and reluctantly disentangle himself from the simple contact.

His heart was beating wildly. His loins were tight, and his erection was throbbing painfully—if he had been drunk himself, he knew he would have taken her all night long, virginity and drunkenness and consequences be damned. Hell, if she were another woman, he wouldn't have thought twice—he would have fucked her to eternity and had his way, drunk or not.

But she was not just a woman. She was Sakura.

With a sigh of his own, and a rub on his chin, he turned off the lights, and immediately stepped into the bathroom, ready to take a cold shower.

And to take care of his little problem.

Tomorrow, Kami help them...he hoped she would be sober enough to take care of it for him.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

When Sakura woke up on that bright, sunshiny morning, it wasn't the terrible hangover, or the sound of the birds, or even the brilliance of the sun's light, that first got her attention.

It was the scent that did.

She was snuggled in something warm, and soft, and covered all around her, from neck to toe. Eyes still closed, Sakura let herself be contented, as even the headache she had acquired couldn't dim the small, satisifed smile that had suddenly made its way into her face. She inhaled.

The cottony something smelled like something spicy and woodsy—so fresh, and so alluring at the same time. An all-man scent.

It smelled exactly like him.

Now maybe if she could just—

_Wait, what??_

Did she just think it smelled exactly like him?

Suddenly, shock raced over her system, as she vaguely recalled, through her sleep-filled mind, what had happened last night. She couldn't remember all, but she could remember some.

And those some were definitely enough.

Keisa. Party. Red wine. Sobbing. Kisses. Touches.

Orgasms.

Oh. My. Kami.

As vague as that was, she could still feel it—not the entire episode, but just enough flashes of memory to make her cheeks go red, and her eyes widen in utter embarrassment...alright, _and _pleasure (damn it! She was entitled!). With a squeak, Sakura shot bolt upright, and quickly peeked under the covers.

Yep. Naked, alright. Just the stupid dress wrinkled around her waist.

And the thongs still on.

Oh, Kami. So they did it. They did it, didn't they? They made love, or had sex, or fucked, or...dammit, she didn't even know what to call it! And the worst thing was, she couldn't even recall a single thing. Was it good? Was it bad?

Oh, my Kami...was she horrible?

Why couldn't she freaking remember?

She looked down again, and noticed that she was in the middle of the bed. Sakura's shock and panic turned to dismay, as she began to realize the only thing that it could have meant. She must have slept alone here, then.

She must have slept alone, because he couldn't bear to be with her after such an awful turn of events last night.

Kami, she had seduced him (yes, she could still fuzzily recall some of that). Seduced him, while she was drunk and messed up. Of course, being a man, he had probably been seduced, and had probably, eventually succumbed to the temptation.

And now, he was probably regretting every damn minute of it.

_Ki-yah! Let's kick his ass now! Then...jump him all over again!_

Sakura ignored the screaming voice inside her head, and let out a muffled groan into the blanket. Doing so, of course, made her accidentally inhale more of his scent—only getting her more frustrated.

Hell. What kind of a woman would sleep with a man moments after he had just slept with another woman—one _she_ had pretty much deemed as a good-for-nothing slut?

A double slut, that's what.

_Yep. You're a double slut, alright._

"Shut. Up. You inner freak," she growled, glaring at nothing in particular. The glaring was better than considering the other emotions fleeting across her, the main one being shame.

She had to fix this. She didn't know why, didn't know how—she just knew she had to.

But where to start?

She must find him first, it seemed.

With a sigh, she finally stood up dizzily, not bothering to put back on her dress anymore—she simply settled for having the blanket wrapped around her snugly, because it was easier. It wasn't like she was planning to stay like this anyway. She just needed to talk to him first, and make things right, before finally taking a shower, dressing up fresh, and attending to her duties.

And she needed to forget all this afterwards, if she knew what was good for her.

She trailed to the bedroom door, her heartbeat increasing with every step. Even from this distance, she could sense it—his faint, recognizable chakra, that had suddenly mingled with the slight thrumming of her hurting head. Faint, because maybe he was still sleeping—the point was, it was _there_, right on that living room, just outside the damn door.

There was no delaying this now.

Bracing herself, Sakura reached for the doorknob. Slowly, she twisted it. With a deep breath, she pulled it. Opened it.

The first thing she saw was the couch. Normal, since it was in the middle of that part of the room. But it was empty—and it looked like it hadn't been slept in at all. Where the hell did he sleep then? Puzzled, her eyes swept all around to try to locate him.

They stopped at one sight. Stared.

Widened.

Sakura froze, and she dropped the cover around her, as her heart dropped right into her stomach—and as her look of puzzlement turned into one of pure, unbelieving horror.

She'd located him, alright. Kakashi was right there, in the living room, lying shirtless on the floor. He was unconscious.

And he was bleeding all over.

**a/n: Well, chapter 13, as promised! I'm not sure about how the lemons have turned out, but i do hope you like it (God, i hope it's not dreadful! I might kill myself if it is!). This is just a build-up, because I assure you, what is about to happen to them is still going to be much more explosive. And YES-something is still definitely going to happen in the later chapters. Hope you stay with me here, because i don't want this to be just about sex. Sure, that would be nice. But there's gotta be some story, too, right? (wink, wink!)**

**Thank you for reviewing last chapter! You really made me happy, guys. Have fun reading this one...and keep on reviewing! :)**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

When Kakashi woke up, the first thing he noticed were a pair of round, soft-looking objects pointed right near his peripheral line of vision. They weren't that large, but they weren't small either—they were perky, and creamy, and looked like they could fit right into his large hands easily.

The second thing he noticed, as his vision got clearer, was that the pair of round, soft-looking objects seemed to be capped with small, pointed pink buds. The buds looked hard—a direct contrast to the soft mounds they were situated in.

It took him a moment to realize that they were breasts.

And that one nipple was directly situated inches from his mouth.

Was he dreaming?

Still a bit disoriented, Kakashi leaned forward, closing his still-sleepy eyes. Without thinking, he took the nipple to his mouth.

There was a hitch of breath, and a sense of panic in the air. Oblivious, Kakashi kept on suckling, his right hand reaching out for the other breast...

"You—you pervert!"

The hitching of breath stopped, only to be replaced by an indignant squeak. The next thing he knew, his head was bumping on something soft, and his body was defying gravity.

Then he fell down—hard.

"O...oww..."

Pain radiated everywhere. Stars began whirling behind his eyes.

"Oh—oh Kami! I—I'm sorry!"

There was a squeak again—this time a guilty one. In an instant, someone was rustling above him, a swish of cloth against skin. Then, something soft was being placed on his right rib, a gentle fluttering. They felt like hands. The said hands turned from fluttering to stroking, making him wince with the pain the simple contact evoked. Those hands quickly stilled.

"Don't move. I'll heal you."

Something cool and familiar was pressing against his skin—it felt like cloth, but he knew for a fact it was not. Though, at the moment, he didn't know why he knew that. The cold sensation spread all over his body, leaving him with a tingling feeling and a sense of comfort that he had not felt in quite a long time. He sighed—soon, the pain all over his body (especially his ribs) was completely gone, to be replaced by contentment, and a distant build-up of fatigue.

The hands left the side of his rib, and there was fluttering again.

"You're okay now," a voice somewhere above him whispered. It was a sweet voice, and one he deemed familiar as well. He'd heard it a thousand times before.

Fatigue was slowly eating up his mind, and his body. Its distance vanished, and pretty soon it was hovering around him like an approaching tidal wave threatening to sweep his consciousness away. But before that could happen, Kakashi tried to hold on, and did the only thing that he could manage at the moment, however stressful it seemed. He opened his eyes.

Just inches above him, eyes were also hovering. Green eyes, familiar eyes.

Beautiful ones.

"Sa...ku...?"

As Kakashi's eyelids finally gave up and drifted down, he heard the voice again.

"Shhh...sleep, now, Kakashi...the poison's gone..."

It lulled him into a sense of security, coated him with warmth.

Soon, Kakashi fell right back to sleep.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sakura was tired. It took much to make her tired, and at the moment, it seemed like her bones were ready to snap, and her body was ready to collapse. She was always careful, making sure that she never, ever used up too much of her chakra. Being a medic-nin, she really couldn't afford to do that—heal with all her might, yes...but never to that point. She would basically be useless if she did, because she couldn't be of any healing help anymore.

But today was an exception.

To hell with caution.

With a sigh, Sakura ran a hand through her hair, feeling it stick to her forehead from all the sweat her body had acquired. Great—now she was too tired to even take a bath anymore. She grimaced, looking at her tired, trembling hands.

Then she turned her gaze to Kakashi.

He was sleeping on the carpeted floor, his body uninjured and his demeanor peaceful. At least she got the poison out completely.

The exhaustion was all worth it, then.

His silver hair was still in disarray, just as it always was. It made her smile, even when she thought she didn't have the energy for that anymore. Somehow...he knew how to make her smile, didn't he? And to laugh. To be angry, too, and to be so furiously annoyed that she would end up seeing red, and end up wanting to punch him to the ends of the earth.

Most of all, he knew how to make her hurt. And jealous.

And aching for him so badly, she thought the simple sensation would drive her mad.

Alright, so maybe it wasn't so simple after all.

With another sigh, Sakura finally let her eyes wander away from him, knowing staring (or ogling, if she had to be honest) wasn't exactly going to do her any good. Or him, for that matter. Sure, it was pleasant to look at him (who was she kidding? It was _wonderful_ to look at him!)—but darn it, where was her professionalism? He was with someone else, wasn't he? And she was just here to fulfill her mission. That was it. That was all. Whatever happened last night, it was all her doing. She had instigated it, she was the one responsible—therefore, it was her job to make sure that such a botch-up could be remedied, and things would get back to normal.

Right. Normal.

How...easy.

Rolling her eyes at such a weird predicament, Sakura stood up, changing her mind about the bath—maybe a quick shower was in order after all.

She stopped, when she noticed something. Why weren't her feet moving?

She looked down.

Oh. That's why.

Kakashi's hand had somehow found its way to his blanket—the one she had so hastily wrapped back around herself (after rearranging her dress back, of course) after he had oh-so-arrogantly...erm, felt her up. At the thought, Sakura's cheeks immediately pinked again, and she unconsciously glared at the silver-haired man sleeping peacefully below her, ready to mutter about his bad behavior and his perverseness rolled into one. She opened her mouth.

And ended up gasping when suddenly, he pulled—so hard that he ended up pulling both sides of the blanket.

And the person wrapped around in it.

Said person toppled out of fatigued surprise.

And fell right into him.

Her covered breasts bumped his naked chest. Instantly, Sakura felt the heat shoot up in her body, and the nerves in her stomach coil. Not wanting to continue the feeling, she made to move, frantically trying to stand up.

She should have known better.

Before she knew what was happening, Kakashi's hands had snaked around her hips, toppling her back towards him—only now it was her back that was facing him, and not her chest. He rolled, taking her with him.

And they ended up in a spooned position, with every bit of her back melded tight around every inch of his front. His hair on her hair. His mouth on her neck. His arms around her shoulders. His hands on her stomach. His legs entangled with hers. Her butt on his...

"Oh, crap," she whispered, her whole face viciously reddening this time.

He wasn't aroused yet, because he was still sleeping—she was sure of that, as she could all but feel his even breathing at the side of her neck. It sent shivers down her spine, and she tried to clamp down the vicious urge to turn her face, and meet that peaceful, oblivious mouth with her own. Yup, he wasn't aroused, and he was sleeping...but did that stop the heat from seeping through, stop her from becoming more aware of every inch of his body, his being, all over again?

No.

Of course not.

Cursing under her breath, Sakura tried to pull away, like before. She ended up being disappointed—the man wouldn't let go. If it was even possible, Kakashi just held on even tighter, burying his whole face into her neck now. There was a soft rustle, in which one of his hands moved, leaving her stomach to travel up. He was still sleeping.

He was still sleeping, wasn't he?

Her heartbeat was thundering around her ears, and she couldn't stop it. Nor could she stop her mouth from drying up, as the said hand reached her closest breast. He cupped it, softly.

She moaned, just as softly.

His mouth began moving. Moving, like a gentle caress across her sensitized skin. She shivered again, her fingers twitching at the uncertainty of what they should be doing. She should be pushing him away, shouldn't she? Pushing him away, and standing up, and taking that long, cold shower right now, without a single care in the world—

His hand left her breast, only to move down and travel from there, back to her stomach, and down to her hips. Then her thighs. He started rubbing circles, up and down, up and down.

Up.

The heat started spreading down her legs.

The ache was coming back.

Panicking, she bit her bottom lip, to keep another moan from coming out of her mouth. Her uncertain hands now rested on his one hand on her thigh, ready to pry it away.

Kami—did the man have to be so sexy, even in his sleep?

She couldn't pry the hand. Not because she _couldn't_, because she could, physically. The only problem was, she didn't want to—especially not when the hand was inching up...

Her breath hitched. His tongue had come out, making soft patterns on her neck.

"Sakura..."

Sakura froze. Her moan, which was ready to come out again, halted inside her throat. Suddenly instinct kicked in, and her jellied hands tried to pry him away again, determinedly this time.

She stopped, when his hand suddenly left her thigh, only to settle back to her stomach. Then he pulled her closer, his lips trailing soft kisses all over her ear. They were melded again, only more tightly this time.

Something hot and throbbing was sticking to the endings of her butt and the beginnings of her thigh. It took her a moment to realize what it was.

Oh. My. Kami.

Not again.

_Yes, again!_

Inner Sakura was moaning like crazy inside her. Inner Sakura was writhing as she talked dirty, and imagined his mouth and his hands on every inch of her body. Inner Sakura was having multiple orgasms as she screamed out his name, and as she pleaded—no, _begged—_for him to go faster, harder—

Outer Sakura was trying not to have multiple orgasms herself.

And it was proving to be very, very hard.

Kakashi's hands had both left her stomach, and were now cupping her...ass. She would have sighed out in relief, knowing it was keeping her away from his...erm, erection—but her sigh of relief ended up becoming a gasp when said hands firmly pulled her even more close (she didn't know it was even possible), melding her behind to his throbbing, ever-hardening length.

Then he started grinding.

Yes, _grinding._

_YES! Grind it more! Faster, Kakashi...HARDER!_

"Shut up!" Sakura hissed to her inner self—but her breaths were coming out in pants. Her hands were reaching behind her, trying to hold onto something to keep her gradually vanishing balance. They ended up fisting on his hair, as his tongue lazily kept on eliciting tracing patterns on her skin.

_Screw him, Sakura...SCREW HIM NOW!_

Oh, Kami.

Her panicked squeak ended up becoming a long, loud moan, when he gave a particularly hard, sensual grind. Even through the clothing, she felt him.

Even through the barriers, something wet started emerging between her legs.

She closed her eyes, taking in the delicious, mind-numbing sensations. Now, if only they could shed off their remaining clothes, so they'd be wonderfully naked and he could grind against her properly...

"Sakura...why are we making out on the living room floor?"

His hands stilled, along with his tongue—and other, more pronounced movements. Sakura's eyes opened wide, as shock poured into her like cold water when she realized what she should have realized earlier, if she just hadn't been too busy being...aroused.

He had been sleeping the whole time.

He had never woken up...until now.

Which meant...

Oh. Hell.

The panic came back, as did the squeak. This time Sakura didn't hesitate in pushing him off her—and this time she succeeded. He moved, sitting up, his face looking very, very disoriented. She, in turn, stood up with a speed that could rival Lee's (actually, it could have been faster than Lee's, had anyone cared to time it), and backed away from him as fast as she could. She stared.

He stared.

Slowly, his eyes drifted down.

She reddened.

"We—we were _not _making out!" she blurted out.

Kakashi's eyes drifted up again, looking at her face in...disbelief. Slowly, he raised an eyebrow.

"Then what exactly were we doing?" he drawled.

"We were—we—we—" Hell, she couldn't even form a proper sentence!

"Sakura...you're stuttering again..."

_That's okay, sexy man, I don't need proper sentences if you just grind on me like that again—_

"I was healing you!" Sakura yelled, promptly mortified at her inner self's thoughts. "You—the poison was still in your body and your wounds reopened, so I...I had to heal you. You're...okay now."

His disbelieving look disappeared, and in its place arrived surprise. Then, quiet wonder.

"Thank you...Sakura."

They gazed at each other for a moment, and it was so intense that Sakura had to look away. But she saw the sincerity there, and she heard it in his voice.

"You're welcome," she replied, just as quietly. Inside, she was nearly sighing out in relief. Okay, so maybe there would be no awkwardness after all. Maybe they could just pretend it didn't happen—

"But that doesn't explain why we were getting it on on the floor."

Darn it.

She was so wrong, wasn't she?

"I—we weren't exactly doing that..." she trailed off, shifting her gaze from side to side.

"You were moaning."

"I—that wasn't—you heard wrong."

"You had your hands fisted on my hair."

"Well you had your hands everywhere!"

She realized a second too late that she really, really shouldn't have said that. Kakashi smirked. Then he stood up.

And started walking towards her.

Slowly.

"What—what are you doing?" she asked, voice wary. Damn if he could make her back away like some idiot hormonal teenager.

His eyes trailed down to her thighs.

"Where exactly have my hands been again?"

Oh, Kami.

She was still an idiot after all, for turning to mush when he said the sentence so...huskily. An idiot, and a hormonal one. And darn it, a teenager.

She backed away.

"Kakashi, maybe you shouldn't really move so much...your injuries—"

"Are nice and fully healed, thanks to you," he interrupted, almost pleasantly. "So, Sakura...did you like having my hands on you?"

"Wh—what?" she choked out, turning even redder. He kept on moving towards her, like he had days before—she was reminded of the scene vividly.

And how that particular scene ended.

"I seem to think you do. Because you were moaning pretty badly..."

"I was _not_ moaning!" Not loudly, at least. He was supposed to be sleeping, damn it! "Kakashi, just do as I say and rest—I don't care if you rest on the damn floor, just do it!"

Kakashi considered the statement. He gave out a shrug.

"Okay."

Then he moved.

Sakura gasped, as the full force of his body hit her. He had moved, so fast, that even her own speed wouldn't have been able to get her away, if she tried. He had moved, at such a blur.

And he had taken her with him.

One minute, she was standing on the floor, all innocent and ready to brush him off and finally take that long shower that was long overdue. And the next...

She was on the couch. Straddling Kakashi. Her hands on his chest. His on her waist.

And their mouths only inches apart.

"What the hell are you—"

His mouth moved to her ear, his lips touching them. It shouldn't have affected her, considering they'd done far more already just last night...but it did. She stopped speaking.

"You said I could rest on the damn floor," he whispered, mouth moving. Making her shiver. "I just thought the couch was better."

"Well, then, go rest and let me go—"

"Baby, this _is_ resting." His mouth moved down, not kissing her. It was simply moving, from her earlobes down the skin below it.

"I'm not your baby," she said, trying hard not to gasp. Or to moan. Or to let him hear the quiver in her voice. She squirmed—then she realized that wasn't such a good idea.

He was hardening again, right beneath her.

"Of course you're not a baby," he retaliated, mouth still moving. From the point below her ear, to the side of her neck. "You're a full-grown woman, with full-grown needs...baby."

"I'm not—"

"Sweetie."

"The hell—"

"I want to be inside you."

She stopped. Choked. "Wha—what?"

"Inside you, Sakura. Thrusting and making you moan. Inside your wet heat."

His mouth moved again, from her neck to her throat. She bit her lip again, to keep from making a sound at the touch.

"You've already been inside me, you idiot," she rasped.

His mouth moved from her throat up to her cheek. Then, to the side of her lips. His tongue came out to lick lightly, making her mouth slightly tremble. She closed her eyes. Maybe just one kiss...

"I haven't."

She forgot all about kissing.

Her eyes snapped open, in shock. In wonder.

In...she couldn't identify the last emotion.

_It's disappointment, you dimwit...he wasn't inside us last night!_

Inner Sakura began bawling like a maniac.

"But...we had sex," Sakura blurted out, eyes widening. "Last night."

Kakashi's tongue retreated, and his mouth stopped moving. Inner Sakura began protesting, and sobbing some more.

Outer Sakura froze, when she saw the look in his eyes.

"We didn't," he stated.

His hands tightened. He pulled her closer. His mouth was, once again, inches away from hers.

And his intention was unmistakable.

"But we're going to before today finishes," he finished.

Then his mouth was moving, and hers was still. He was devouring. His hands were everywhere, and hers were fisted. He was ravishing.

And blazing fire was suddenly, oh-so-gloriously spreading all over her body.

She moaned, unable to help it anymore. He groaned.

She should be protesting, she really should, because this was wrong, and this was bad, and—

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

"You idiot, I said Forehead wouldn't be here, don't bother—"

"Kakashi-sensei! Have you seen Sakura-chan, we've been looking for her since—WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS DOING!?"

—someone might find out.

Kakashi froze. Sakura jumped. They turned their heads simultaneously. Sakura paled.

There, in the doorway, stood four people that she definitely didn't want finding out.

Sai, looking expressionless. Ino, looking smug and semi-irritated (at Naruto). Naruto, looking shocked and betrayed.

And Sasuke looking absolutely, positively murderous.

Oh, hell.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**a/n: Erm...this chapter wasn't supposed to have lime. Or that much...interaction. God. I got distracted (insert sheepish expression). Kakashi is just so...darn. Sexy. Which is why i got distracted in the first place. Sorry. The way i wrote it was very different from the way i thought this chapter was supposed to be (my fingers are possessed!). And it's kinda long...but anyway, hope you'll still enjoy reading.**

**And please please please review! Thanks! (and thank, dear reviewers of the previous chapter...you make my day complete!) :)**

**NOTE: Got a new SasuSaku fic out...check it out! :)**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

It took Sakura a moment to comprehend the reaction of her four friends, and to take a grasp as to who she should deal with first. Sai was probably the last thing on the list, as he remained expressionless, and didn't seem to be bothered by what he had just witnessed. Ino wasn't a problem—the girl took her here last night, didn't she? It was something they were going to have to discuss soon, but right now...Naruto still looked shocked and betrayed, his face turning very red—but Ino was placating him, and yelling at Sai to do the same.

So there was only Sasuke left.

Sasuke, who looked more than murderous now. There was a dark aura surrounding him, like a cloud ready to strike lightning at any second. It was scary—and it was something she had never seen him emit, ever since his last battle with his now-deceased brother.

That was three years ago.

He took a step forward.

Instinctively, Sakura took a step back—effectively shielding Kakashi (though she probably didn't realize it yet) as she did so.

"Don't," Sakura murmured, green eyes trained on Sasuke's angry, onyx ones. "Whatever you're thinking of doing...just don't."

Sasuke's arms tensed, his hands fisting. But it wasn't him who replied.

Instead, someone else (a loud someone else) did.

"What are you talking about Sakura-chan?! And why are you kissing our sensei—ow! INO, WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

"Idiot! He isn't Forehead's sensei anymore, so there's nothing wrong with what they're doing."

"We're _not_ doing anything," Sakura corrected, glaring at both Ino and Naruto. Naruto glared back.

"Could have fooled me," Sai chirped, a fake smile coming into his face.

"Shut up," Ino snarled. "You're not helping."

Naruto ignored all this, and turned his glare to Kakashi. He snarled as well, and pointed an accusing finger (the one Ino wasn't holding on to) at the silver-haired jounin.

"And YOU! Why are you corrupting my Sakura-chan?? First you have sex with that Keisa chick, now you go do it with Sakura-chan—OW! INO WOULD YOU STOP HITTING ME!"

"You deserve it, you big lump of an idiot! You don't even know what you're talking about—"

"BUT I DO! HE HAS SEX WITH EVERY GIRL HE MEETS—OW!"

"So are you implying I'm _not_ a girl coz he didn't sleep with me??" Ino snapped, blue eyes darkening in annoyance.

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT INO? HE SLEPT WITH THE CHICK—"

"Would you stop going on about that stupid bitch?!"

"WHO ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT—"

"And lower your voice, my ears are hurting—"

"BUT—"

"And they _did not sleep together!_"

For a moment, Naruto stopped, blinking rapidly at the information. Then...

"KAKASHI-SENSEI AND SAKURA-CHAN?"

Ino gave him one last bop in the head, before shouting back.

"Kakashi and Keisa! Kami!"

It was the last sentence that had Sakura's face paling up some more, and her stomach filling up with a weird, uncomfortable fluttering. She didn't dare look at anyone else, but kept her gaze straight at Sasuke, who was still unmoving, and seemed to be listening in on the conversation (or yelling, more like). Sasuke wasn't looking at her, but at the man behind her, who she didn't want to face yet. But he was there—she could all but feel his presence.

Why wasn't he saying anything?

Naruto finally seemed to shut up, his jaw dropping open in an almost comical way. Sai was still smiling, although it was purely anyone's guess as to why. Ino was still glaring at Naruto (she had let go of him and was now putting her hands on her hips), muttering some curses under her breath.

Sakura merely remained frozen in place.

After a while, Sai, still smiling, stepped forward, a curious look on his face.

"How did you know?" he asked Ino.

Ino looked surprised at the question. Then she stopped glaring, and smiled sweetly. "Why, through somebody, of course."

"WHO??" Naruto yelled.

Ino went back to glaring. "Gen-ma. Got any problem?"

"BUT THE GUY IS A PERVERT TOO! HE COULD BE LYING!"

"He wasn't."

The last voice was husky, and quiet.

It sent shivers down Sakura's spine.

Ino caught Sakura's expression, and grinned smugly. "See? I was right."

Naruto looked more confused. "KAKASHI-SEN—" He paused when Ino gave him another pointed glare, her hands poised to knock him on the head again, "I mean, _Kakashi_...you didn't sleep with Keisa?"

A pause. Then...

"I believe you heard me the first time, Naruto."

Silence.

Ino looked pleased. Sai went back to being expressionless. Naruto gaped. Sasuke remained stoic and tense.

Sakura's heart was thundering in her chest.

"Good," Ino chirped, clapping her hands in finality. "Now that's it all settled, why don't we—"

"It's not settled."

Ino gaped, as Sasuke spoke, and stepped forward once more. Sakura eyed him uncertainly.

Naruto, deciding to agree with Sasuke, nodded his head vigorously. He glared at Kakashi once more.

"YES, IT'S NOT SETTLED! IT DOESN'T EXPLAIN WHY YOU WERE WITH SAKURA-CHAN—"

"Shut up, dobe."

Naruto head swiveled, his accusing glare turning to the other. "I AM NOT A—"

"Shut up, dickless," Sai supplied, smiling once more.

"WHY YOU—"

"Kami—just shut up you loudmouth!" Ino screeched, putting a hand on Naruto's mouth. Sai eyed this, and his smile widened. Ino hissed. "What?!"

"There's good chemistry between you. Are you guys gonna have sex soon?"

If this was an entirely different situation, Sakura would have laughed hysterically at that.

In the end, Sai only got a few bumps on the head, and more yelling from two very blond loudmouths—which, not surprisingly, he took rather quite well. He was still beaming.

Sakura kept her eyes on Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun?" she voiced out hesitantly.

No response.

"Sasuke-kun, what you saw was nothing—" Sakura began.

"I want her."

Her breath caught in her throat, and she nearly choked out a very undignified squeak. Slowly, she swiveled her head, to stare at the man who had said the last words with conviction and certainty.

His eyes were crinkled, as if amused. But his body was tensed, and he wasn't even staring at her. His eyes were just as focused on Sasuke. His face mask was back—wait, when did he put it on? No wonder nobody really reacted, as Sakura had first thought they would.

Well, except for the caught-making-out part.

They definitely reacted to that.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WANT HER KAKASHI?!"

"It means they want to have sex idiot!"

"INO-CHAN! STOP CALLING ME IDIOT!"

"Maybe you should just kiss her senseless, dickless—"

"Eww! Sai! I'll kill you for even suggesting that—"

"I want her, Naruto." Kakashi seemed to ignore every blabber going on—which Sakura found hard to do. "And I want you to respect that...and you, Sasuke."

"She's mine," Sasuke growled.

Sakura narrowed her eyes, prepared to retort a comeback. "What do you—"

"She doesn't have a tag on her, last time I checked," Kakashi interrupted, almost pleasantly.

Sakura glared at him.

Naruto gaped.

Ino squealed.

Sai observed.

And the two remaining gazed at each other...challengingly.

"Let's fight," Sasuke grunted, Sharingan eyes activating.

Kakashi shrugged. "You're on," he replied, activating his own.

And that, for Sakura, was the last straw.

Enough.

She exploded.

"STOP IT!!"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It was fascinating to watch a Haruno Sakura turn from sweet and innocent to temperamental and dangerous—and all that, in less than one minute.

Her green eyes flashed. Her mouth turned up into a sneer. Her skin flushed. On anyone else, it would have looked ugly, even horrible.

But to Kakashi, she had never looked more beautiful.

Well, okay, except when she was moaning for him. Or under him.

But that was beside the point.

"YOU! GUYS!" she roared, first glaring at Sasuke, then at Kakashi. She didn't bother with Naruto (or Sai)—the guy was already hiding behind Ino, a kinda-scared expression on his face. "I AM NOT—" She held a finger up, pointing it at Sasuke. "A PRIZE—" Said finger whizzed towards Kakashi. "TO BE WON!"

Sasuke's Sharingan deactivated. So did Kakashi's.

Satisfied, Sakura turned the finger towards Naruto.

"AND YOU!" she yelled, glaring some more.

"SAKURA-CHAN! I'M INNOCENT!"

"Innocent, my ass," Ino muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Shut up, Pig," Sakura snapped, before turning her attention back to Naruto, "I am not _anybody's_ Sakura-chan. I am _my_ _own person._ Got that?"

"HEHEHE SAKURA-CHAN, WHAT ARE YOU—"

"And I can sleep with whoever I want."

Naruto's jaw dropped. Sai looked confused. Ino beamed. Sasuke glared. Kakashi looked extremely pleased.

That is, until Sakura's glare zeroed in on him.

"And that doesn't mean _you_, buster."

Naruto looked gleeful. Sai transformed to thoughtful. Ino frowned. Sasuke kept on glaring. Kakashi's eyes crinkled down.

Well, ouch.

He certainly didn't expect that.

"Then who are you planning to sleep with, Sakura?" Sai, ever so oblivious, asked politely. Ino stared at him, eyebrows raised.

Sakura instantly reddened.

"I—well—"

She still looked pretty, in Kakashi's opinion.

Hell, she could wear a sack and he probably wouldn't change his mind.

_Or she could wear nothing._

His length twitched.

Okay, _not_ helping.

He tried to ignore it, and went back to staring at a still-reddening, and now-starting-to-stutter Sakura.

"It's—it's none of your business," she finished, looking miffed.

"But you just brought it up," Ino pointed out.

"Shut up!" Sakura snapped.

"Sakura, come with me," Sasuke intoned, voice still cold. At the tone, Kakashi's eyes narrowed.

"She's staying," he said tersely.

Naruto stopped hiding from behind Ino, and bravely puffed his chest out. "NO, SHE'S NOT!"

"Shut up, you idiot!" Ino supplied. "She's staying, she needs to get laid—"

"I WILL DECIDE FOR MYSELF!" Sakura yelled, glaring at everyone in the room. "NOW SHUT UP OR BY KAMI, I WILL PUNCH ALL OF YOU IN HERE!"

There was an instantaneous, almost deafening silence.

Satisfied once more, Sakura sighed.

"I'm staying," she murmured softly. Naruto looked like he was about to open his mouth, and retort—but Ino stopped him with a threatening fist. "But only to make sure Kakashi gets the proper medical treatment."

They all remained silent.

"He's been poisoned by a kunai. The poison activates every few hours, making his injuries reopen. I've extracted the poison out, I think...but I have to be sure. Which is why I need to monitor him."

Still silence.

"Erm...you guys can talk now."

Guess who opened his mouth first?

"BUT SAKURA-CHAN! WHAT ABOUT WHAT WE SAW—OW! INO-CHAN!"

"In case it _still_ isn't clear to you," Ino snapped, "_they_ didn't have sex."

"YOU GUYS DIDN'T HAVE SEX?!"

"Erm...no, Naruto," Sakura muttered.

"Not yet," Ino muttered back.

Really, Kakashi was starting to like Ino's mind workings every minute.

"And that's not the issue as of this moment," Sakura countered, sighing once more. "Okay, guys?"

Naruto, for the first time that day, looked guilty and ashamed. Sai, once again, returned to his blank expression. Ino looked resigned. Sasuke eyed Kakashi. Kakashi, not knowing what to do, eyed him back (though his expression was more pleasant).

Finally, as if by mutual agreement, they both unlocked gazes, and stared at the pink-haired woman standing in between.

"Whatever you say, Sakura," Kakashi whispered, almost softly.

Sakura's green eyes turned to him, and he gazed back, saying nothing again. Her lips parted, hesitated. About to say something.

Then she cleared her throat, and averted her eyes. The moment was broken.

She went forward, a few steps. Then she pulled Naruto by the arms—Naruto protested, immediately whimpering and whining and shielding his head with both his arms. The sounds turned into one big squeak, when instead of doing that, she did something they _all _probably never expected.

She hugged him.

Then she whispered something, which made him go red, then soften, then hug her back. It looked like a private moment.

"I LOVE YOU TOO, SAKURA-CHAN! AND I TRUST YOU NOT TO DO ANYTHING STUPID!"

Okay, maybe not so private after all.

Naruto bounded off outside, exclaiming something about ramen and being hungry from all the useless arguing.

He seemed to have forgotten being righteous and shocked.

Ino rolled her eyes, when Sakura finally turned to give her a hug. Sakura whispered something as well—and it amused Kakashi to see Ino reddening even more violently than Naruto.

"I can't believe you agree with Sai! Ewww!" she hissed, glaring at Sakura. Sakura merely smirked, before turning once more to hug Sai, who only hugged her back (awkwardly and curiously). No words were exchanged.

Ino stalked off, muttering that she was gonna prove them wrong. Sai silently followed.

Finally, Sakura turned to look at Sasuke.

She took his hand. He tensed.

Kakashi tensed.

"We need to talk," she said softly, gently.

And then, without further ado, she pulled Sasuke outside, shutting the front door with a firm click. Leaving Kakashi alone in the living room, with his thoughts in a whirlwind, and his body still aching.

And not from injuries.

Since when had everything become so complicated?

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The moment they stepped outside, Sakura opened her mouth to speak. Her hand reached out to touch his shoulder.

"Sasuke-kun, I—"

But he didn't let her finish the sentence.

Sakura gasped, as her hand was swatted away—though it wasn't in a painful way or anything like that. The next thing she knew, she was being pulled, and braced against the outside wall, her back on it.

Then he was kissing her once more.

She shouldn't be surprised—but the truth was, she was. She was so surprised, she wasn't able to react. All that came out was a surprised squeak—which, of course, made her open her mouth. He took advantage of that, his tongue coming in to seek her own. His hands were on her waist, moving up and down. His touches, his kisses—they were so...passionate. Full of something she couldn't comprehend, couldn't understand. Or maybe she _could _understand—she just didn't want to acknowledge it. She was warm, and her skin was tingling, and she was ashamed to say that however inappropriate the contact...she was enjoying it. Somewhat.

His kisses were like fine tingles.

But Kakashi's...Kami.

They were explosions.

And whatever she did, whoever she kissed...she knew nothing would be able to compare.

With a sad feeling in her heart, Sakura did the one thing she never would have done, had she been the same Sakura as she was six years ago.

She gently pushed Sasuke away.

"Sasuke-kun...you don't love me."

Sasuke looked surprised for a moment. Then, almost like clockwork, he became emotionless once more.

"And I love you," she continued—earning another surprised look from him.

The last part was probably the hardest to say.

"But I'm not in love with you," she finished in a whisper. "I...I don't think I will ever be."

"It's him, isn't it?"

"It's not him," she murmured, looking into his eyes. "It's _me_. It's _you._ It's us. I...I can't."

Silence. Then...

"You're in love with him."

Green eyes widened.

Was she?

"No," she said, after a moment. She thought about it. Felt something in her heart constrict. "No," she repeated, with more conviction this time.

She wasn't in love with him.

Of course not.

Her cheeks paled at the thought. Sasuke only gazed at her silently, not saying anything. Something flickered in his eyes—but it was gone before she could even so much as analyze. He nodded his head, as if understanding...something she didn't. Then he backed away.

"I would have asked you to be my wife, you know."

The statement had her widening her eyes, and staring back at him. Sasuke smirked, at her expression. Then his smirk dropped, and he was serious once more.

"But it seems too late now."

"I—Sasuke-kun..."

"But that's okay. I'll find someone else."

He smirked.

She tried to smile, as the sudden realization broke through her.

_He has feelings for you, you know._

Kami. After all these years...and the sad part was, she couldn't return it. Not anymore.

And there was nothing she could do about it.

"You will, Sasuke-kun," she said softly. Then she tilted her head. Thought back to what he said. "And you're wrong. I'm _not_ in love with him."

Sasuke merely continued smirking.

Sakura's smile disappeared, as a frown slowly made its way to her face.

"Sakura?"

"Yeah?"

"Keep telling yourself that," he grunted. Then he nodded one more time, and turned around, walking away and leaving her to ponder his parting words.

It took her a moment to comprehend. And when she finally did, she had to lean back on the wall, as the impact of a sudden realization hit her like a pile of heavy bricks—or better yet, like Sasuke's Chidori and Naruto's Rasengan, all rolled into one.

No. Freaking. Way.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**a/n: Oh, boy. This chapter probably has no serious scenes at all, except for the last part. I know, they're supposed to be more emotional. But seriously, I had fun writing it this way (and the arguments were random, too...i just wrote down what came to my head at the moment, however weird!). Hope this chapter's okay for you.**

**Anyway...more excitement next chapter! :)**

**So please...review! (it keeps me writing faster!)**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

When she went back in, the first thing she did was take a shower. A long, hot, wonderful shower, to strip her body off its sweat and grime, and to make her feel soothed, after such a long, tiring day—and to think, it was only afternoon. She scrubbed and she soaped, feeling dirty, not just on the outside, but on the inside, too. Here she was, in the apartment of her ex-sensei, right after a complete fiasco, and right after letting herself be kissed by a man who not only practically asked her to be his wife, but who she _refused._

Oh, and yeah. Right after almost doing it with said ex-sensei.

On his couch.

With no inhibitions whatsoever.

Kami.

With a sigh, Sakura kept on scrubbing, trying to avoid the thoughts circling around her mind. She scrubbed and soaped for a good long time, and shampooed herself twice. Inhaling the scent, it made her remember that this actually wasn't her bathroom, and the soap and shampoo weren't actually her usual ones. She inhaled.

And smelled him.

Slowly, she exhaled, and kept on showering.

It might have been minutes, or it might have been hours (hell, it might have been _days_), until she finally deemed herself clean enough. She turned off the shower, and toweled herself dry. She then put on some clean, lacy white panties, and looked around. She'd forgotten to bring a bra with her. With another sigh, she settled for not wearing one, and quickly put on a pale, pink, buttoned tank top and a cotton skirt that reached above her ankles.

It wasn't like he was gonna be outside on the bedroom, ready to jump her or something like that.

A bit amused and irritated at the thought (jeez, did he have to occupy her mind so freaking often??), she stepped out, towel and old clothes in hand. She froze, at the sight in front of her. Then, cursing herself inwardly for reacting too much, she steeled her shoulders, and gazed at the clothed chest of the man sitting in the room, right at the edge of the bed. His mask was still on.

"I should check your injuries again, to see if they'd reopened."

"They didn't."

A pause.

"And my eyes are up here, Sakura. Why so fascinated with my chest?"

Instantly her eyes snapped up, meeting his—his eyes were crinkled, and he looked...amused. The thought that he _was_ amused brought her irritation back, and to compensate, she glared at him, and stalked closer.

He stood up.

She poked his chest.

"I'm _not_ having sex with you."

He blinked, obviously not expecting those words. She smiled triumphantly. He stepped closer.

Her smile slowly faded.

"Really...Sakura?"

She removed her poking finger, taken aback by his response—and by the way he was gazing at her. Cheeks reddening, she stepped backward, gripping the towel and clothes tighter, and avoiding his eyes.

"Erm...yes."

A hand came up to touch her cheek, thumb stroking. Her breath stopped. The thumb glided down, rough on her smoothness, creating a sensation that she couldn't have stopped, however much she wanted to. It paused at the corner of her mouth, rubbing softly. Involuntarily, her mouth went dry, and her lips opened slightly. The thumb continued moving, stopping down at her throat, at the point where her pulse...pulsed.

His head moved closer, coming down to her ear.

"You sure you don't want to repeat last night?" he whispered, voice tingling her skin.

She stuttered. "I—yes—no—no."

"What, Sakura?" he asked again, his other hand moving to rest on her waist.

Darn it. She _couldn't _speak.

His tongue came out, touching her earlobe. She jumped, dropping the clothes and the towel on the ground. Her eyes fluttered dizzily.

"I'll make you remember, you know," he murmured, mouth softly suckling the skin below her ear. Delicious waves washed over her, rendering her immobile. "Remember what we did last night when we didn't have...sex."

His mouth moved, gliding down her neck...her chin...the corner of her lower lip. A sound came out of her throat, and she realized a little too late that it was a whimper. A helpless, soft whimper. His hand, the one resting on her waist, moved slowly, making little rubbing motions. Her nipples stiffened, and her body responded, pushing closer to him.

"Yes or no, Sakura..."

"Wha—what?" she asked, dazed.

"Yes..." His mouth grazed her jaw, teeth lightly nipping. "Or..." His other hand, the one resting on her throat, moved down to her arm, slowly sliding down to her elbow...to the skin near her tingling breast. "No..."

"I—don't—"

"Yes or no..."

_Yes...YES!_

"No..." she moaned, eyes rolling back as his thumb flicked the hardened bud. The ache was coming back. Oh, Kami. It was coming back fast, and hard, and unbearably delicious as the anticipation built up—

His mouth stopped. His hands pulled away.

And, with one last nip on her jaw...his mouth was gone.

"Okay. If you say so. I'll take a shower now."

SLAM.

And he was inside the bathroom, whistling all the way.

Shock made her open her eyes fully, and gape at the closed door. Her body felt numb, still fully aroused, and still wanting more. As the fog in her mind lifted, her jaw dropped. Then, as realization kicked in, her hands fisted, and her green eyes narrowed. Then, they darkened.

Oh, no he _didn't_.

"Hatake Kakashi! You come back here!"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It had taken every bit of his willpower to pull away, and to go into the bathroom with his stance relaxed and his mouth whistling unknown tunes merrily. He slammed the door, quite loudly, and had to suppress both the amusement and the raging desire swallowing him, and urging him to take her right now...right _now_.

Not yet.

He pulled off his mask, throwing it carelessly on the floor. Then his shirt. His belt buckle came next—he tossed that over his shoulder, hearing the soft clink as it landed somewhere in the closed, tiled vicinity. His hands went down, aware of the hard-on he was currently sporting—hell, it was still twitching. Slowly, he unbuttoned the pants, his hands pausing on the zipper. He waited.

Almost as if on perfect timing, her voice came.

Loud and disbelieving and angry.

"Hatake Kakashi! You come back here!"

BAM! BAM! BAM!

He smirked. He smiled.

And, almost as if on cue, the door was pounded repeatedly.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

His smile grew.

_It's time._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Her blood was boiling—it was boiling so deep, and she couldn't exactly say from desire. Angrily, she continued pounding on the door, almost shrieking in frustration when it remained closed. Her one hand reached for the knob, turned it.

She growled in utter, displeased amazement.

Not only closed, but locked.

Locked!

"Kakashi, you devious man, I cannot believe—"

She stopped speaking when the door opened, and when she nearly stumbled inside. Regaining her balance, she backed away a bit, and planted both her feet on the ground, and both her hands on her hips. She glared.

"You are such a—"

Her eyes widened, and the words died in her throat. Muscled chest. Hungry eyes.

Zipper, slowly being moved down...

Oh. My. Kami.

She squeaked.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

She looked nervous as hell, and her cheeks were growing to be an alarming red. Her eyes had shifted, from glaring to shocked to purely embarrassed. Now, they were merely avoiding his, and staring in the general direction of...well, everywhere. Except him, that is.

But he had seen it. That spark of lust, however brief.

It was all the reaction he needed.

"Sakura...why aren't you looking at me?"

"I—you—it's—they—"

"Getting shy?"

"You were pulling my leg!" she blurted out, voice accusing. Her green eyes were now back on his, glaring—though she was looking straight at his face, and not on any other part of his anatomy.

He smirked again, and deliberately stared at her legs. "Pulling your leg? Hmm...I haven't done that, exactly." He stepped closer, eyes locking on hers. His tone became sensual. "Is that...your preference, Sakura?"

Her jaw dropped, and her cheek turned even redder (yes, it was possible). Her glare faltered, and she backed away, not seeming to realize that she had backed herself into his only drawer. She appeared startled at the contact, and made a move to shift directions.

His eyes darkened.

_Oh no, you don't._

In an instant, her butt was digging into the furniture, and he was standing in front of her, hands flat on the top of the drawer, on either side of her. He snuggled close, feeling her body stiffen, and her hands coming up to his chest.

Without even thinking, he removed them, placing them behind her. Trapping them beneath his own, so that heat could meet heat, and there would be no more barriers.

Her breathing turned to pants.

"Kakashi...?"

His mouth went down, feathering over her neck. His hands left hers, settling on her hips. He snuggled deeper.

Her pants became harsher.

"Ka—ka...shi..."

"...yes, Saku...ra?"

His mouth began traveling, trailing hot, soft kisses all over her. His one hand left her hips, and went down...down...down.

Under.

Softly, he touched an inner thigh. She whimpered.

"You're...playing...with...me..."

He rubbed, going up. She moaned.

"I'm not," he whispered, voice rough. He kept on kissing, kept on trailing.

And slowly, he was losing his mind.

She tasted so good. Felt so good. His blood was going wild.

"I want you, Sakura. So much. So damn much."

His hand touched its destination, and softly grazed the lacey material that covered her entrance.

She trembled.

"Say you want me," he commanded, eyes glazing over. His kisses grew hungrier, harder. They trailed, all over her face, not quite meeting her lips.

_Not yet._

"I...Kaka...shi..."

"Say you want me," he repeated, crazed with the scent. The taste. His tongue was out, doing pleasurable things. His hand was moving all over.

"Kaka..."

He cupped her.

She screamed.

"I want you," she sobbed out, moving in his hand. Moving so fast, so uninhibited...so wild.

It was all the words he needed.

He groaned.

And took her mouth in a mind-numbing kiss.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Sharply, his breath caught, and his mind registered the sound. He kept on kissing, touching.

_Ignore._

His tongue traced her bottom lip, feeling it tremble.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

His tongue urged on, opening her mouth, bringing her own tongue out. He used his teeth, nipping hard, swallowing the sweet moans and whimpers coming from hers.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

His mouth went down, bypassing her breasts, and stopping on her stomach. His hand left her heat, and went up to the edge of her skirt. His breathing was ragged. Hers were gone, replaced by sobs of pleasure and cries of need. Her hands were on his hair.

Slowly, he pulled the skirt down.

Slowly, his mouth followed.

"Kakashi-kun ! I don't know why you aren't answering your door, but it's getting annoying and I have a surprise for you..."

The voice was familiar, and it wasn't Sakura's.

The door opened, and in came the intruder.

Kakashi looked up, still aroused. Sakura opened her eyes, still dazed.

And in the doorway, stood Keisa.

Clad in nothing but a red nightgown, and a shocked expression on her face.

Everybody froze.

For Sakura, it was the epitome of hurt.

For Kakashi, it was the last straw.

Angrily, he stood up. And he exploded.

"Get out!"

Keisa looked startled for a moment, as if not believing what she was hearing. Then, something flickered in her eyes, and the startled look turned into a mischievous one. She smirked.

"Why, Kakashi-kun," she purred, "After all the pleasure you gave me last night, you can't possibly believe I wouldn't want...a second try."

Sakura's eyes widened. Keisa smirked some more.

But they both weren't expecting what happened next.

In an instant, she was being dragged outside, by a furious man who has had enough. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sakura, frozen in place, expression a mixture of shock and hurt.

He hated himself for it.

"But Kakashi!" Keisa whined, pouting and trying to touch him sensually. "Last night was the best sex I—"

"Keisa, I am only polite once. Now leave."

"But Kakashi!"

He pushed her, as gently as he could, out the front door.

"Goodnight, Keisa. Don't ever come back."

And he slammed the door, as hard as he could.

There was a string of curses outside.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_A second try._

_Last night was the best sex..._

_A second try._

_Last night..._

When the sound of footsteps came closer once more, Sakura looked up, still in her stance, still frozen. Still numb.

He was standing at the doorway, looking tired. The anger had ebbed away. But the energy...barely suppressed. The desire...barely concealed. The care...barely hidden.

And the honesty...so raw. So clear.

All for her.

Her heart lurched. Stumbled.

Fell.

_It had fallen long ago, Sakura._

_Open your eyes._

They gazed at each other, never breaking contact.

"Make love with me, Kakashi. Now."

His eyes widened. Then, darkened.

Then he was moving closer, and there was nothing but him and her, as the world fell away, and everything blurred, except him. Only him.

He pulled her closer, inch by inch. Molded her, until they both fit deliciously. Wonderfully.

Perfectly.

Then, once again, his mouth came down and breathed against hers.

There were going to be no interruptions anymore.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**a/n: Guys, I just wanna say how overwhelmed I am by the reviews you gave me for the last chapter. Wow...i was nearly speechless. To all those who reviewed, or gave me a cyber hug, or said they liked my story...thank you thank you thank you! You guys made me so happy! :)**

**Anyway, this chapter is sort of a filler, I guess (but there's some nice scenes too!). I wanted to build up the passion, you see. Notice the last line? That's the hint for next chapter. So, if you just give a bit of your moment and review this...i will give you the next chapter full-on! Deal? Deal!**

**Hehe. Review! :)**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

_His emotions were running wild, and his hormones were pulsing in heightened waves. He saw her, still standing, body soft and green eyes wide and darkened. Her hair was a lovely mess, and her mouth was swollen. She was looking as if she wanted...no, needed something._

_Needed him._

_He heard the words, and his heart began to pound almost violently. He couldn't think, he couldn't breath—all there was left was feeling, and he'd be damned if he let that get away this time. _

_With one last final look, he moved. He pulled her closer, and pushed her to the nearest wall he could find._

_No more interruptions._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sakura could feel the wall behind her, and the heat of his body standing so close. His lips, those perfectly wonderful, perfectly kissable lips, were ghosting over hers, not yet touching...but close. Very close. At the back of her mind, she could remember this scene, remember how once upon a time, they had been like this—standing so near, with only the beating of their hearts and the churning of their body parts standing in the way.

For the life of her, she could not remember what was supposed to happen next.

It didn't matter.

Slowly, Kakashi's hands settled on her waist, resting just in between the hem of her shirt, and her skin. Her body sparked at the contact. He didn't press closer, but instead let his mouth hover, his breaths heating up places inside her that she hadn't even known could be heated. Her lips tingled.

"Are you sure, Sakura?" he asked, voice soft. Tone, once again, husky. Her eyes fluttered, wanting to close. She willed them open, wanting to look at him, at those eyes that expressed so much, yet expressed _nothing_.

A complete enigma, was what he was.

"Would I say yes—" she stopped, when his mouth came even closer, planting a soft kiss at the corner of her bottom lip. "—if—" His tongue came out, licking said bottom lip. She tried to suppress a moan. "—I didn't—" He kept on licking, so lightly, that she wanted nothing more than to crush her mouth in his, and have him proceed the licking inside. "—mean it?"

His hands cruised up, stopping at a button. He fiddled with it, his mouth moving to her chin. The licking kept on going. The first button was opened.

"You have to be sure." He paused, concentrating on the nipping of her jaws. Desire shot through her belly, a rough, delicious jolt. His hands brushed over her second button, opening it. There were only three buttons left. "Because I..." Two buttons. "won't..." One button. "...stop." None.

Slowly, he parted the tank top, sliding it down. Slowly, he exposed her breasts—breasts that were tingling, screaming for his touch. Nipples that were stiffened, and hardening all the more. His eyes trailed down, shimmering with darkened lust. His mouth slightly parted. The gaze alone was enough to make her melt, enough to make her breathing irregular.

The ache was coming back.

It always did, when he was the one touching her.

Slowly, his eyes went back up, and his mouth came back to rest near her own. He kept on breathing, blowing heat on her lips, as his hands slid sensually, smoothly, up her stomach...up the underside of her breasts. His hands stopped there, thumbs rubbing softly on the bottom of her mounds...but not quite reaching the point where she needed him to touch her the most.

"Please..." she whispered, voice a bit broken from her uneven breaths.

"Please what, Sakura?" he murmured, his moving mouth sending hot shivers over her. She gripped his shoulders, feeling the muscles bunch. His bare chest was now sending heat waves that made her nipples pucker, and ache to the point of pain.

"Please..." She was whimpering now.

"Say what you want," he rasped, "Tell me what you want...Sakura."

Oh, Kami. The way he said her name...oh, Kami.

"Kiss me...touch me...do—do things to me..." she whimpered, eyes wide and dazed on his. She saw him nod, saw his irises darken even more. Felt him shift, as his hands suddenly were removed, and his mouth suddenly stayed away.

"Okay."

Then, without warning, they all came back.

In full force.

His mouth plunged into hers, kissing her hungrily. It was a frenzied kiss, almost bordering on desperate. She opened her mouth, felt his tongue come out and taste. Her own tongue tasted him back, and tangled with his. He nipped her bottom lip, and licked, murmuring words that she couldn't hear over the blood roaring in her ears.

His hands came, those large palms, to cover both her breasts. She arched into him, not caring that this wasn't a shy move, because really—there was no shyness here. He cupped them, kneading every now and then, making her squirm and wriggle more to his touch. Slowly, his thumbs flicked, resting on her nipples. Rubbing. There was a jerk of pleasure, as she trembled, and moaned loudly into their kiss. Unconsciously, her hands moved to his neck, stroking the nape, and brushing the hair there. His fingers pinched softly, making her moan louder. Her eyes closed.

"You like this?" he whispered hoarsely, his mouth continuing to assault her own. Slowly, they disentangled, and moved down to trail equally hungry kisses on her neck, her throat. She tilted her head, giving him better access.

"Yes," she whispered back, arching again as his thumbs continued flicking, as his hands continued kneading. "I—like—" She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence, because Kami—he was so thorough, and it felt so good, and...oh, Kami.

She was losing her mind.

_Touch me._

_Take me._

_I'm yours now._

His mouth moved down some more. Down, until it stopped to the skin above her breasts. He was licking, and kissing, and he was not stopping. Without warning, his mouth replaced the hands, and he started kissing her one breast. He trailed down, down...the mouth reached the nipple, and covered it. His tongue flicked out, licking.

She threw her head back to the wall, gripped his hair for balance. She moaned his name, as the ache only grew deeper, heating up her belly, her thighs. When he started suckling, the heat spread, and something wet started pooling down her insides.

Restlessly, his mouth continued moving, not stopping as she thought they would. He continued trailing down, licks and nips and kisses, until his lips reached her stomach, and felt her trembling there. His hands, which were on her breasts, moved away, and quickly went to rest on her ankles. On her thighs. On her—

"Ka—ka—shi...?"

"Sakura."

He was doing distracting things to her, and she couldn't focus. Her vision was blurring. She felt, instead of saw, his hands bypass her wet heat, and pause restlessly on the upper edge of her skirt. She felt him bring it down...felt his mouth, like before, follow.

"What—are—you—" She paused to moan, and grip his hair tighter, as that tongue did wonderful motions down there, down before—

His hands pulled the skirt down—and with the skirt, her panties. She felt them pool down her feet, felt his breath blow over her now exposed...there.

"—doing?" she whimpered the last word out brokenly.

His mouth stopped moving. His hands went to grip her outer thighs, almost as if balancing them in place. She looked down. He looked up. Their eyes met, the stark desire evident in both.

"Something that I forgot to do last night."

Then she was thrown in a whirlwind of ecstacy, as his mouth came down.

And his tongue plunged into her.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kakashi tried to steady himself as he felt Sakura buck her hips, and arch herself into his mouth. She was wet and hot, and she was exploding in a wave of orgasms that were tempered with whimpers, cries and screams of utter pleasure.

It was enough to drive any man crazy.

Relentlessly, he continued to plunge his tongue, not wanting her to stop. Her insides were so moist, and the taste...oh, Kami, the taste was unlike anything he has ever had. It was sweet, and musky, and something else that he couldn't quite identify—something else, he knew, that he could only describe as one thing...Sakura's.

He would gladly taste it again and again.

Her voice was becoming faint, probably because from the loud buzzing—no, _roaring—_in his ears. It couldn't be helped. He only grew hungrier, needier.

She was so responsive. So damned responsive.

"Kaka—shi..." She threw her head back again, moving wildly into his tongue. The orgasms were continuous, and doing nothing to tighten his self-control. Without thinking, he lapped all of her up, all her sweet juices, down to thighs, back up...he thrust his tongue inside again, flicking the tip into her secret core.

She screamed once more.

When her knees weakened, and her trembling became nonstop, he let his lips trail up, moving from her stomach, to her breast...her nipples...her neck...then, to her mouth again. She was clutching onto his shoulders, her hands loose and weakened as well. Dazedly, she opened her eyes, moaning softly as he softly suckled on her neck.

"Kaka—"

"Sakura..." he replied into her skin.

"I—please—I can't stand—"

She didn't continue, but he understood. Without a word, Kakashi moved his hands down on her legs, lifting her up until they partly straddled his hips. He placed his palms on her behind, lifting them up as well. Her feet left the ground. Weakly, she closed her eyes back, her head resting on his neck. He felt her quiet breathing as an aftermath of her ecstacy. His pulse quickened, at the heat in them.

Silently, he walked. He moved, until they were standing in front of the bed. Gently, he deposited her there. She was on her back, naked, her elbows resting on the soft sheets. Her skin was glowing, an ivory color, that might have been made for touching, and for tasting. Her lips were pink, and made for him. Him alone. Her eyes fluttered open, full of need and want and...something.

He let himself look for a while, everything in him aching. Then he stepped back.

Sakura's eyes widened, and her mouth opened, as if to speak—or to protest the distance. The words never came, however, when his hands went to his zipper. Slowly, he pulled it down.

Slowly, he removed his pants. His boxers.

She kept on gazing, as he revealed himself in his full, naked glory. Her eyes were focused on his length, which was standing hard and proud, and pulsing with what might have been desperation. He saw her tongue come out, lick her bottom lip. He knew it was an unconscious action...but his hormones still reacted.

"You'll kill me," he groaned. Then he walked closer.

He let one knee sink into the bed first, letting the furniture—and her—adjust to the weight. Then, slowly, he crawled, until he was on top of her. They both shifted, their bodies close. The heat was almost unbearable. Her palms rested on his shoulders again, before slowly sliding down to his chest. She continued to stroke, feathery-light touches that almost drove him insane. He took one hand in his, and kissed the fingers, one by one. Then his mouth proceeded to her lips, kissing softly, but still with hunger. She moaned into the kiss.

Kakashi pressed his body into hers, catching their hands in between. His other hand was on her hair, enjoying the silky texture. He tilted her head, angling the kiss deeper, until her moans turned to more whimpers, and her breathing became raspy again.

"Kakashi..." she murmured into his mouth.

He didn't reply. He let her head fall back on the bed, his lips traveling to her throat once more. His hands left her own, and traced down, stopping to cup her warm moisture. Her whimpers turned louder. He stopped cupping, and let a finger pause at the slit. It trembled slightly. He let the finger brush it once, twice.

Then, without warning, he plunged the finger in.

"Oh—oh!"

Her body practically jumped off the bed, arching into him. He soothed her with murmurs of sweet nothings, his finger continuing what it was doing. It stroked and touched, while his other hand left her soft hair, to cup an abandoned breast. He kneaded softly, rubbed the nipple teasingly, as his mouth continued down. He closed his lips on the other breast, enjoying the taste. After a few moments, he removed the finger—then slid it back in. He continued sliding it in and out, loving the quiver of her core, and the dampening insides. One finger became two, and he continued to thrust, faster and faster, bringing her more pleasure. When her inner muscles clamped into his digits, he let his mouth roam over her ear.

"Come for me, Sakura," he whispered, voice dark and dangerous.

And she came. Fast and hard and violently.

She cried out his name, throwing her head back. She clamped around his fingers so hard, he felt colors whirling in his eyes. She writhed and writhed, as the wracks continued on. Relentlessly, he continued thrusting, as she exploded in his hand. He kept on maneuvering, thrilled at the fact that he was the one able to make her lose her control.

He wanted to be the only one.

When the wracks subsided, he still kept on thrusting; kept on sliding in and out, until the heat and the pleasure built up again. Eventually, her body was trembling once more, and the wetness was pooling back. Her voice kept on calling for him, soft and broken and sultry.

"Kaka—shi...please..."

"Sakura..."

"Inside me," she sobbed out, her hands digging into his hair—tugging it. "Please—you—inside me—please—"

Her words were jumbled, but he understood. Oh, he did.

Kakashi let her tug him up. Slowly, he removed his fingers, and captured both her hands in his, pinning them to the bed on either side of her head. He positioned himself, until his hard length was near her opening, and their bodies were molded tight. His erection was throbbing painfully; his eyes were going glassy; his senses were raging. There was no stopping now.

"It will be painful," he warned softly, eyes on hers. She nodded, and with desire and longing, gazed back.

Slowly, he slid himself in. Slowly, he watched her eyes flicker in shock, in unease.

He wasn't prepared for the mind-numbing pleasure.

"Oh...Kami. Kami, Sakura."

Colors. Sparks.

Explosions inside his mind.

She was so hot. So tight. So wet.

"Kaka..."

And she was in pain.

All he wanted to do was thrust into her hard, and fast, and drive them both to the brink of madness.

Instead, with all the self-control left in him, he clenched his teeth and waited, letting his length throb inside her; not moving, just throbbing. Waiting. Their hands stayed wrapped on each other, and their eyes kept gazing at one another. He saw, and even felt, the pain subside, and something akin to wonder come into her eyes. It was beautiful to look at. He experimented moving; there was no flicker of pain—only a moan, deep-throated and dark. Her eyes fluttered shut, her face an expression of bliss.

"More," she demanded, softly.

He complied.

His length slid out, completely out. This time, he didn't just slide back in.

He plunged.

Her eyes snapped back open in shock, and her mouth opened—he took advantage, and crushed his own, seeking out her tongue. Their tongues dueled in a relentless dance, the taste intoxicating them. He moved inside her, in and out, thrust after thrust, the thrill urging him to go faster, harder. So he did. Faster, harder, he went, and she met him, thrust for thrust, her hands breaking out from his grasp. She used those hands on him, touching everywhere, and he used his own to grip her hips, and pull it upwards; he plunged deeper.

"Say my name, Sakura," he said, voice rough.

"Kakashi..."

"More," he demanded. He plunged, touching a secret nub.

"Kaka—oh! Kakashi!"

She was sobbing his name, crying it out loud, as he continued to touch that secret spot. He was not going to hold out any longer. The look of her, head thrown back and face contorted into an expression of pure bliss, her lips parted open, her body moving and moving against him. Beautiful. He was mesmerized, and he couldn't stop himself.

He was falling into something he did not understand, had never experienced before—but he would gladly fall into it, as long as it was with her. For her.

Only for her.

With one final, hard plunge, she came, and so did he. Their bodies molded, and he kissed her once more, their mouths colliding in a burst of passion and lust and everything in between. Their eyes met, one last time. Black on green.

Then, before any of them could comprehend anything more, they were taken into heaven, and the most earth-shaking experience of their lives.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

There were things in this world, she thought, that were worth waiting for.

And this was one of them.

The sun was no longer around. For a while, they stayed quiet, as the darkness encumbered them, and the beginnings of the moonlight bathed over them, like milk on satin.

A smile played across her lips, as she inhaled the scent of the man beside her—sweaty, musky, and all-man. Even at the aftermath of the most erotic experience of her nineteen years, the man still managed to stay...delicious.

It was amazing, to say the least.

He had collapsed atop her after the shattering chains of orgasms, but had flipped them in a position wherein she was the one lying a bit on top, her head on the crook of his neck, her palm on the smooth expanse of his muscled chest. Their legs were tangled, too lazy to move. One of his hands was on her waist, where he had tugged her close—the other was on her back, tracing lazy circles.

"Kakashi?"

"...hmm?"

She buried her face deeper into his neck, inhaling some more. "It was wonderful."

There was a rumble on his throat, signifying that he had chuckled. She smiled some more, loving the feel of him doing that. Loving the feel of him doing...those things.

Sighing lazily, contentedly, she let her palm curl, and let her finger trace swirls all over his chest. His scent, which she was still inhaling, was somewhat addicting. Unable to help herself, she let her tongue peek out, and lightly licked his neck. She heard his breath catch quietly. Her fingers kept on moving, sliding down innocently, enjoying the feel of him.

It only stopped, when it came across something large just below his stomach.

Pausing in the kissing and licking, Sakura looked down, and turned pink on the cheeks. His flaccid length was now in her hand. She stared at it, amazed that it was so limp, when just a few minutes ago, it had been so hard and throbbing like mad and—

Without thinking, she stroked it. It twitched. Fascinated, she wrapped her hand around it. She heard him catch his breath again, a groan escaping his mouth. His hand tightened around her waist, and his circling fingers had stopped moving. She moved her hand, softly stroking the length. She watched, a bit mesmerized, as it began to harden and grow under her touch. His breathing had become ragged, and his hands were tightening on her skin. She stroked faster, up and down, fascinated at—

"Sakura."

"Kakashi."

"...are you trying to seduce me?"

It wasn't what she was doing (really, she was just fascinated, which was why she was still stroking it), and it surprised her that he would think that. But then, surprise turned to mischief, and mischief turned to something else, as his hand came near her breast, lingering there. Slowly, she put her lips near his ear, blowing.

"Well, is it working?" she asked, nibbling his ear.

She gasped, as he grabbed her hips, and flipped them over, until he was on top of her again, pinning her into the soft bed. She opened her mouth to protest—but only a moan came, as he slid himself inside her again, and the aching sensation came back. He moved. She moaned louder.

"What do you think?" he said huskily, his hungry eyes on hers. She stared back, stared until their mouths met again, joined.

There were no words anymore, afterwards.

Only the sounds of their pleasure, and the feel of their bodies coming together.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**a/n: Well, here you go! They finally enjoy each other (wink, wink!)...but no, this isn't the end yet. More is still to come, because the story ain't over (it's far from over! Hehe i think). So, hope you'll stay with me 'til the end! :)**

**So, erm...what do you think of this chapter? Kindly review! I would really love that! And by the way...thanks to the loyal readers...you guys are a-ma-zing! :)**

**P.S. Got a poll on my profile page, asking what upcoming fics you might like me to post first. You can vote if you want. :)**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Tsunade was out of sake—and when she was out of sake, you could say she wouldn't be in a pleasant mood. This was pretty obvious now, as anyone within seeing distance could pretty much witness the scowl on her face, and the way her eyebrows furrowed in what might have been annoyance. But that's not all. Her aura was radiating in waves, too, and if you were a sane person, you would be staying very far away from these waves—particularly at a time like this. She might be punching anyone any minute now, if she didn't get a dose of her daily...erm, drink.

But Tsunade knew, deep inside, it wasn't just about the sake.

Sake could stay in hell, and rot there.

Well...for now, anyway.

Trying not to sigh, the blond Hokage subtly stole a glance at the person sitting on her left—she wanted to scowl some more. With his picture-perfect posture and stiff mannerisms, one would very well suffice that Kashemi Kenji of the Kashemi clan was indeed a respectable, worthy-to-be-admired man. And that would have been true, too—if you didn't _really_ know who he was. Since Tsunade did, she couldn't very well get it in herself to admire him—particularly his unbending, superior belief of things. He was the epitome of a male...well, prude.

On her right, sat yet another man who thought very highly of himself. Hano Takeshi. Takeshi belonged to one of the richest clans in Konoha, and one of the great supporters, too—by supporters, it meant _funds_. While the funds were indeed helpful, Tsunade wondered if it would be better if she would just place her fist on his flabby, overstuffed jaws and pummel him from here to eternity—the guy was crude, loud and simply, arrogantly pompous.

There were other people in the room, most of them who were big influences in the decisions made in this village. But they weren't focused on each other. No. At the moment, everyone's attention was singled out on one certain man, the only one who was standing in front of all of them. He looked pretty nonchalant, but the truth was, nobody could really tell, considering there was one thing this man was very good at—hiding emotions.

Tsunade's scowl deepened, as she let her gaze rest on said man.

He was late again.

"Hatake Kakashi, what have you got to say for your tardiness?" she asked. She asked, because she knew if she didn't, Takeshi would probably do it—in a ruder, more pompous way. Arrogant ass. The man was practically reeking with eagerness and superiority beside her.

Kakashi merely scratched his head, and gave everyone an eye crinkle.

"Erm...you see, there was this old lady crossing the street with her cat—"

"Oh, save it," Tsunade grumbled, annoyed at the eye crinkle. She _really _needed some sake...can hell give them back now? "I've heard that a thousand times already."

_And I will gladly pummel you, too, if you repeat that stupid tale again._

She was _so _irritated with all this.

As if on cue to irritate her further, Takeshi scoffed, folding his arms. "And yet you still tolerate it? I cannot believe this is how you run—"

"How I run my shinobi is my concern, Hano-san," Tsunade interrupted coolly, patience wearing thin.

"On the contrary!" Takeshi exploded, standing up and shaking some bloated stomach layers as he did so (ugh, disgusting). His eyes widened, outraged at being interrupted. "Who do you think has supported you and funded this village for years?"

"Why, we never forget, of course," Tsunade said through gritted teeth.

"And who do you think has made sure that this village runs as smoothly as possible?" Takeshi rambled on, ignoring her comment. "We, the Council, are responsible for it! And we do not tolerate incompetence!"

_Great. So I'm the Hokage, but they run the show. Brilliant._

It should have been laughable.

But she was _not_ in the mood to laugh.

Narrowing her eyes at Takeshi (who was too busy glaring at Kakashi—Kakashi still looked nonchalant, but anyone who knew him well could tell that his gaze wasn't relaxed anymore), Tsunade opened her mouth again.

"There is no incompetence here, Hano-san," Tsunade bit out. "Konoha is by far one of the strongest villages of this nation—and that is all thanks to our capable, _competent_ shinobi."

"Capable? You call—"

"Hano-san, that is enough."

It wasn't Tsunade's voice this time.

"But—"

"I said _enough_," Kenji repeated coldly, eyeing the other man in disapproval. "Sit down, and do not bring down the Council with your shameless behavior."

Still shaking in absolute importance and outrage, Takeshi reluctantly sat back in his chair, still glaring at Kakashi.

"Yes, Kashemi-sama," he bit out politely—or at least, as polite as Tsunade had done earlier (which wasn't much).

"We have serious matters to discuss here," Kenji continued calmly, his voice carrying on a tone of authority, and what might have been contempt. "Other...shameless behavior." His eyes flickered to Kakashi for a while, calculatingly looking down at the man, before turning back to the Hokage.

It was obvious what he was implying.

"Tsunade-sama, if you may?"

Right. Now they were giving _her_ control. How funny.

Trying not to sigh (or scream or throw a temper tantrum or _murder_ somebody) in frustration again, Tsunade gave Kakashi a look—one which she desperately hoped he would read. He'd better not be an idiot, because if he was...well, then. She was just going to have to castrate him.

There was a lot at stake here.

Slowly, she nodded her head, an acknowledgement to the Council members' request (request, her _ass_!).

Then she made sure her face was an emotionless mask when she spoke.

_Underneath the underneath, Kakashi._

"Hatake Kakashi, loyal shinobi of Konoha...is it true that you're having an affair with your student, Haruno Sakura?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sakura was having a wonderful day.

It was a wonderful day, because of many things. Many, many things. First, it was yet another one of her day-offs—no work, no stress, no hassles. Usually, life at the hospital was fun, and she never complained about saving lives (after all, there was nothing more fulfilling than that)—but it was very rare for her to relax, and she found she wanted to enjoy such rarity.

She knew she deserved it.

The second reason for her happiness was the fact that Naruto, Sasuke and Sai had visited her yesterday, two days after the incident (Ino had done so the morning after said incident, demanding the juicy details instantly)—willingly, in Kakashi's apartment (though Kakashi himself hadn't been there). At first, things had been awkward—but, thanks to Sai's ever-naiveté, the tension was soon broken, and they were again back to being friends (not that they ever became enemies). It was, to say the least, like a weight was being lifted off her shoulders, and she could have cried with the sheer relief of it.

She didn't, of course. But she nearly did, and she wasn't ashamed to say so.

Sasuke, predictably, was still a bit distant. But she didn't mind that. She knew he needed time, and she was more than willing to give that. For her, it was the effort itself of the visit that touched her—he wouldn't do that if he held some kind of grudge, right? She was happy he didn't, and she was happy that even if they didn't have love for each other as lovers, at least they now had love for each other as friends. She wanted that. His acceptance, his respect. His care. After all, he was still her teammate, her comrade—and one of the most precious people in her life.

She didn't have to say what the last reason was—and, for her, the most important. Thinking about it was enough to make her smile.

Kakashi.

Her lover.

_Her_ lover.

Kami.

It gave her tingles, just at the mere words.

She never thought she could feel like this—her heart bursting with so much emotions, so much...happiness.

So much...something.

She didn't want to say it out loud yet.

They've been together for three days now—a short time, really when you think about it. It was kind of a secret, too—as of now, she knew only a few trusted people knew (and she _knew_ Ino wasn't going to gossip about it, lest she wanted to be strangled). But everyday, every moment of their time together...Kami. It was like being in a different world, one that she never wanted to let go of. She was seeing things brighter, clearer...and her life had suddenly held so much more meaning. With him, she felt safe, secure. Cared for, with so much intensity.

Maybe even loved.

She wasn't delusional. She knew they weren't in a relationship yet, and that was okay with her, for now. She was adult enough to know that such things take time. She _understood._

She also knew they had their fights, and their quirks. Things that would, sometimes, drive them crazy to the point of insanity. She never did understand his tardiness (except when he visited his deceased friends—yes, she knew about that), and he never seemed to understand her need to be meticulous. In a way, they were exact opposites, who, given any other circumstances (like if they had not been assigned on the same team all those years ago), would never have given each other the time of the day.

But these were the circumstances now.

And she knew, somehow, they would make it work.

_Oh, you just want him to come home now so you can have wild sex with him_.

Oh, yeah. And that, too.

Sakura flushed in pleasure, as she vividly recalled each and every one of their...erm, sexual escapades. On the bed. On the floor. Against the wall. Atop the kitchen table. Refrigerator. Bath tiles. Tree. Closet (yes, even there—blame it on his creative smut).

The list goes on and on.

It was safe to say she was turning into a pervert in her own right.

_And do not be ashamed about it!_

"Right. Whatever you say," Sakura replied to herself in amusement.

_Yes! Whatever I say! Because the man is ours now!_

"You mean _mine_," she muttered, trying not to laugh.

Inner Sakura merely grumbled.

Still trying not to laugh, Sakura sighed into the bed sheets (yes, she was still in bed—or rather, had gone back to it after showering and dressing up), and cuddled up to the smell. From somewhere afar, she heard the distinct click of what seemed to be the front door.

"Better seduce him over breakfast, now," Sakura murmured, eyes sparkling. Slowly, she grinned, her senses tingling. Her body anticipating.

Oh, yeah. She was definitely becoming perverted.

And addicted.

_All his fault._

She found she couldn't argue with the inner about that.

Mischievously, and quite contentedly, Sakura eased away from the bed, and walked quietly out of his bedroom, and into his living room. Sure enough, there he was—he had his back facing her, his posture slouched. His hands were in his jounin pockets, a customary gesture for him. His hair, as usual, was in its messy, wild disarray.

Her heart fluttered at the simple sight, catching in her throat. She smiled. The sensations scared her...and yet it didn't. It's true that they hadn't said anything about feelings yet...but it was early. There was time.

They had all the time in the world, didn't they?

Quietly, she made her way towards him.

Yes, they had all the time in the world. It wasn't like he was just going to get rid of her, after weeks of wanting and only three days of—

"Sakura."

She sighed, a bit disappointed that she wouldn't be able to sneak up on him. But the sigh quickly turned into a smile again.

"Yes, Kakashi?" she murmured sweetly, deviously.

He turned around, and it was only then that she noticed his mask gone. His face was grim.

Her teasing look immediately became one of concern.

"Are you...okay?" she asked hesitantly, raising an arm to place on his shoulder. She stopped, when she saw his face become even more grim. It was like...he was closing himself off.

Warning bells began sounding in her head. She ignored them.

"Kakashi? What happened? What was the meeting all about?"

Surely it wasn't about the meeting...or was it? Maybe Tsunade assigned him some dangerous mission, and he had to do it right now. An assassination mission, maybe, and a serious one.

"You have a new mission, don't you? I can't believe shishou would assign you one so quickly, you've barely just healed—"

"Sakura."

She stopped, at his grave tone. More than concerned now, Sakura stepped even closer, about to hug him, as some way of comfort—though she still didn't know what she was comforting him about.

She froze, when he stepped backward.

Away from her touch.

They were silent for a moment, her just frozen in place there, and him just...silent. The warning bells were growing, and she tried to ignore them, she really did, because she knew what the warning bells were trying to say, and if she believed them—

"Sakura."

—she had a feeling they would come true, and slightly break her heart.

"Kakashi."

Unsurprisingly, she knew what was coming next.

She just wasn't prepared for the hurt it would cause her.

"I don't think we should see each other anymore."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**a/n: Politics. Sigh. I think it's only right to add it here. ****Anyway, their affair is supposed to be a secret (for now)...care to guess how the stupid Council found out? And...care to guess why Kakashi is breaking up with Sakura? There's a purpose - either that, or Kakashi is truly an idiot (hehe I won't tell! at least, not yet!)**

**P.s. Have you read the latest manga chapter? God. I wanted to punch Sasuke so bad. Can't he see that Madara is using him? Grr. I wanna cry. It makes me so frustrated. Sasuke, you'd better change your mind!**

**Well, anyway...have fun reading. And review please! :)**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

She didn't bother to knock. Knocking would only mean politeness, and she was in too much of a turmoil to even think about being the least bit polite.

Screw politeness. She had other emotions to cater.

Without further ado, Sakura shoved the door wide open, ignoring Shizune's protests, or Ton-ton's loud, annoying little squeals. She stalked inside, forcefully.

Then she planted her feet, and glared at the person sitting in the middle of the large chair, drinking her lovely sake into oblivion.

"Shishou, I want to hear it and I want to hear it _now._"

Sakura expected the blond Sannin to rage at her, and shout different obscenities for barging in like some queen with a temper tantrum. It was a routine, and Sakura would usually later on regret ever provoking the wrath of her beloved mentor—well, alright, she regretted it _sometimes._

But Tsunade didn't rage. She didn't even utter a single word.

Instead, she took another drink, in huge gulps that seemed as if she was quenching her thirst, or trying to finish the contents of the bottle as quick as possible.

Then she finished. She sighed.

And she stared Sakura seriously in the eye.

"Alright."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_She returned to his apartment later, her body numb. Her mind numb._

_He was gone._

_Quietly, she packed up her bags, not leaving a single thing behind._

_She left._

_And she never looked back._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Eventually, the numbness disappeared.

Only to be replaced by a fresher emotion.

She was mad. She was so mad, that for a moment, she felt like she was going to get choked by the rawness of it. She had always been a temperamental person, even she couldn't deny that—but she never really got mad, at least not seriously. Only with enemies, and people who dared to harm her precious people.

Yet now, she was _mad_. And there was no stopping her from feeling so.

She was mad at Tsunade, for bringing forth a meeting without her knowledge.

She was mad at the Council, for meddling with her life.

She was mad at Hano Keisa, for babbling everything to her dear uncle.

And she was mad at Kakashi, for not trusting her enough to tell her.

For shutting her off.

For not wanting her enough.

_"Why? Why are you ending it?"_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_"...because I don't want you anymore."_

Because of the madness, she couldn't stay alone. She didn't want to be alone, because she knew it would do her no good. She wanted to talk to someone, to be with someone, someone who understood her enough before she went crazy.

So she went to the first person that came to mind—she didn't even bother knocking. Sakura simply let herself in, knowing the door would be unlocked, and said person would understand enough not to yell at her for it.

They weren't best friends for nothing.

Fuming still, Sakura entered the door, the room. She opened her mouth, ready to speak out—just blurt out everything.

She stopped.

Froze.

And all madness immediately flew out the window.

Suffice to say, it took her a moment to register what the two closest people in her life were doing.

And they were doing it quite...erm, intensely.

Sakura stared with wide, disbelieving eyes and a wide, speechless mouth. She looked like a fool for staring, she knew that, but, well...who _wouldn't_ stare? Here she was, innocently stalking (and grumbling and trying not to cry and not to _think_) towards her best friend's apartment, for some best-friendly heart-to-heart talk. For some bonding, I-need-my-best-friend-very-much-right-now moment. Here she was, standing inside said best friend's apartment, trying to take it all in.

Yes, Ino was indeed home. On her couch.

Straddling a blond-haired, blue-eyed _male_. A familiar one.

And they were making out like there was no tomorrow.

Ino was attacking Naruto's mouth with fervor, biting his lips and putting her hands all over his hair, running them around and gripping the messy blond locks. Naruto was attacking her mouth back (though not as aggressively), his hands helplessly splayed at his sides—gripping the couch covers, quite tightly, as if trying to keep his balance.

They were both moaning, a bit loudly. They were both concentrating (or was it that they were simply oblivious?), deeply. Naruto was sinking and sinking further into the plush couch, and Ino was starting to sensually grind—

"Oh. My. Kami."

And Sakura really, _really_ didn't mean to make that exclamation.

But nevertheless, she had—and at the sound, the two stiffened, obviously shinobi enough to hear it (but did they not hear her open the door?). Mouths disentangled, and two pairs of bright blue eyes (but of different shades) stared at her.

They were breathing very, very harshly.

"Oh. My. Kami," Sakura repeated, at a loss for any other words. Her cheeks were probably flushed, but at the moment she didn't really notice. Nor care, actually. Mouth still open, Sakura pointed at Ino, then at Naruto, then at—

Okay, she was starting to look like an idiot now.

Ino was still gripping Naruto's hair, and Naruto...well, he looked like he was dizzy. His pupils were slightly dilated.

There was a long, quite-deafening pause.

Sakura stared.

Ino stared.

Naruto tried to stare (he was _still_ looking dizzy).

Finally, it was the female blond who spoke first.

"Erm...Forehead," Ino murmured, clearing her throat.

"Um...Pig," Sakura murmured back.

Silence.

"I was just trying to prove you were wrong," Ino blurted out, suddenly disentangling her hands from his hair. She stood up. "About the...er, chemistry thing."

Sakura almost laughed (almost, because she couldn't quite bring herself to, considering what just—_no, do not think about it!_), but she settled for raising an eyebrow. "Oh? Really."

"Really," Ino confirmed, adamantly nodding her head. "This was...er, an experiment. To prove that we really didn't have chemistry. Totally nothing more. Right, Naruto?"

Naruto still looked dazed, and confused. He stared at Ino (who was stubbornly trying not to stare back), then at Sakura.

Then he scratched his head, and grinned nervously.

"Ehehehe, Sakura-chan! Ino is right! I don't even know what you're talking about!"

"Baka," Ino muttered, glaring at him. "She didn't talk about anything."

"Oh. Okay! Well, it's nothing, Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed, in a really weird voice that could have almost implied the exact opposite of what he said. And, he was blushing.

Naruto blushing was so, so cute.

"Now that the...er, experiment is done...well, it's over!" Ino chirped, trying not to flush herself. She still wasn't looking Naruto in the eye. "You can, uh, go now, Naruto."

Sheepishly, Naruto stood up. It took all of Sakura's self-control not to flush redder as she saw (more like stared) at the prominent bulge in his pants. He was quite...erm, big. Not that she was thinking of how big, it was just that it was kinda obvious and—

Sakura's self-control lost, and she turned redder instantly.

Oh, Kami.

This was embarrassing.

"Naruto, I said go," Ino insisted, after a few more seconds of them just standing and freezing in place. Naruto stared at Ino in bewilderment. Again, he stared back at Sakura.

Suddenly his eyes narrowed.

"Sakura-chan, why are your eyes red?"

At that, Ino instantly focused her gaze on Sakura. Her eyes narrowed as well.

"Forehead, why is Naruto right?"

Now it was Sakura's turn to react some more—but instead of turning more red, she turned pale. Extremely pale.

"Nothing," she mumbled.

"What do you mean nothing?" Ino demanded, crossing her arms now. "Were you crying?"

Naruto was now approaching Sakura. "Sakura-chan, don't cry! I'm sure Kakashi would be sad if you cry like this."

At the mention of the name, Sakura tried to get mad again, to yell insults and grumbles and tell the world good riddance. She wanted to thrash around and vent, to use somebody as a punching bag. To pummel them out of existence. To scream.

But the anger was truly gone, and all that was left was the one thing she had tried to avoid dealing with, until now.

It hurt.

Oh, Kami, it hurt.

"Naruto, I think you should go," Ino said firmly, eyeing Sakura carefully.

"But Ino-chan! I—"

Ino whipped her head towards him—flushing instantly when their gazes met. Hastily, she averted her eyes once more. "Sakura and I—erm, we need some...girl talk."

Naruto, also averting his eyes (and blushing), kept on whining. "But I want to know what's wrong with her!"

"Naruto—"

"But I want to know what's wrong with her!"

"Naruto—"

"BUT I REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S WRONG—"

"Idiot!" Ino snarled, shaking a fist in his direction. "Do you ever listen?"

"BUT I—"

"We will be talking about tampons and waxing! And monthly periods—"

"EWW! SAKURA-CHAN, ARE YOU CRYING BECAUSE YOU HAVE YOUR MONTHLY PERIOD??"

Sakura blinked. "Erm...not really, Naruto."

"THEN—"

"But Ino's right," she interrupted softly. "You should go. I'll catch up with you later. For ramen. I promise."

At the mention of ramen, Naruto immediately brightened. "OKAY, SAKURA-CHAN! IF YOU SAY SO!" Without further ado, the blond boy hugged the pink-haired girl with all his might, crushing her a bit in the process (though, miraculously, she didn't complain). She hugged him back, a little uncomfortably (she was trying not to make contact with any part of his lower region). Naruto turned to Ino, scratching his head again.

"Erm...see you around, Ino-chan!" he said nervously.

"Um...yeah. You, too," Ino muttered.

They were both not looking each other in the eye.

Finally, after some more moments, Naruto was out the door, whistling enthusiastically all the way. The room immediately seemed to lessen in terms of energy, bringing forth silence once more.

Ino stared.

Sakura stared back, a tear spilling from her eye.

Without further question, Ino stepped forward, and gave her best friend a silent, comforting hug. Sakura hugged her back, and slowly, started quietly crying in her arms.

"It's okay, Forehead," Ino soothed, patting her in the back every now and then. "We'll castrate the bastard if that makes you happy."

Sakura only cried some more, making Ino nervous.

"Erm, okay, wrong choice of words. Um...you'll get wrinkles if you don't stop crying?"

Sakura choked (though it wasn't from the crying), and Ino patted her back some more, encouraged. "There, there. Your forehead will also get bigger if you don't stop bawling."

After a few moments, the two friends disentangled. Ino pulled Sakura's hand, leading them both towards the single sofa chair (not the couch), and ushering her to the seat. Reluctantly, Sakura sat, head down. Sighing, Ino settled on the floor, sitting in indian style and looking up, to catch her eye.

She was still hurt, but the crying had helped.

A bit.

"I do _not _have wrinkles," Sakura muttered, pouting a bit.

"You will, in a few years!" Ino chirped, smirking. Sakura glared, but the blond ignored it.

Sakura sighed.

She was quite surprised at Ino's next words.

"Well, Forehead—care to tell me why you and the baboon broke up?"

Sakura blinked. "How do you know that?"

Ino simply rolled her eyes. "Well, _duh_. I'm no idiot, so stop asking." She pondered for a bit, before her eyes narrowed. "Did he _dump_ you? Because if he did—"

Well, it was now or never.

"The Council found out," Sakura finally said, trying to keep her voice even.

Ino looked puzzled.

"Erm...and that relates to the story _how_?"

"Exactly."

Now Ino looked bewildered. "Forehead?"

"Huh?"

"You're not making _any_ sense."

Silence.

Then Sakura sighed. "Pig, you know the Council. They make the rules of this village. Heck—they _control_ the village. And most of them are arrogant_. _They always get what they want. It's the reason why Tsunade despises them fervently."

"I still don't get it."

A pause.

"Kakashi's my teacher. I'm his student. It's forbidden. There's a rule."

"What rule?"

"An affair between the two leads to...the stripping of rank. Stripping of home. Everything."

"...are you saying that you'll be _banished_ from Konoha?"

"Not exactly. We...I will be stripped off being a shinobi and medic nin. And...he will go to prison."

Ino paled, eyes widening. She bit her lip, and crinkled her brows, as if thinking.

Silence.

"Forehead?"

"Yeah?"

"He's your _ex_-teacher."

Sakura sighed again. "It doesn't matter, Pig. Someone convinced the Council enough to make their decisions firm."

"Who?" Ino asked, a bit impatient now. "I mean, the Council wasn't even supposed to know in the first place, right? I sure as hell didn't tell anyone, and I'm pretty sure your own team wouldn't do that to you. And Genma, too, and..." she trailed off, as realization dawned on her big blue eyes.

Ino froze.

Stared.

Then she suddenly stood up, and snarled viciously.

"Why, that bitch! That freaking _bitch!_ I'm gonna kill her, I swear I am—"

"Ino, calm down."

"I will _not_ calm down!" Ino snapped, glaring at everything in her line of sight. "I will peel the skin off her bitchy body and—"

"The Council would have eventually found out, Pig."

"Still!" Ino shrieked, "That was low of her! I'm sure you want to kill her too! And I'm sure Kakashi would want to—"

"He didn't tell me."

Ino stopped, at the last words. "What?"

Sakura tried, once more, to keep her voice even. But her hands were shaking. "He didn't tell me. I wasn't in the meeting. Only...him. And...I...he wasn't planning to tell me. I found out from shishou. And...he's gone now. On a mission."

It still hurt.

When would it stop hurting?

There was silence once again, the long, deafening type that never failed to make Sakura uncomfortable.

Then Ino exploded once more.

"Why, that stupid, self-sacrificing bastard! That—that _baboon_! That—"

"Pig, shut up. It's not his fault."

Ino stared at her in disbelief, opening her mouth again. Sakura spoke first.

"...he was trying to protect me, Pig."

Ino stopped, and continued staring at her hard.

Her jaw soon dropped, and her face softened.

"Oh. My. Kami. You're really in love with him, aren't you?"

Sakura didn't answer, but Ino took that as answer enough. The blond sighed loudly.

"Well, couldn't you guys have pleaded your case, at least? I'm sure the Council would be able to make conditions or something like that, you know, so you two could still be together—"

"There's one."

A pause.

"Well, _what_?"

Her heart shifted.

"Marriage."

"Marriage?" Ino asked, eyes widening. "Well, then...what's _wrong_? Go do it! You obviously love him, and—"

Her heart squeezed.

"—I'm sure I know you enough to _know_ that you don't fall in love that easily and he...oh."

The last was uttered as realization dawned on Ino again.

She paled.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"...he didn't ask."

"I already told you. He didn't tell me anything. He just...didn't want to see me anymore."

"Forehead—"

"He doesn't love me, Ino. Clear enough, right?"

Silence.

Immediately, Ino was back on the floor in front of Sakura. "Oh, sweetie...I'm sorry. I didn't—I—it's—Kami, I sound like an idiot. Can I castrate him now?"

Sakura smiled slightly at that. "Pig, you do realize you have a weird obsession in castrating?"

"What can I say? Men are _pigs._"

Silence.

"Sakura, maybe you should talk to him—or at least punch him—"

"Ino, no."

"But—"

"It's over, okay?"

"But—"

"I got over Sasuke, didn't I? I'll get over him, too."

Ino shut up, and looked on with a sad face. She smiled.

Sakura smiled back.

She was trying to accept it. It was time to accept it. He had made no promises, and what they shared was really nothing. Maybe she had built too much into it, and had not considered what Kakashi really wanted. Of course he wouldn't want a relationship.

Of course he wouldn't want to marry her.

It was an affair. Nothing more.

She'd get over it. And him.

_Liar._

She would. Eventually.

_Liar._

She tried very hard to convince herself that.

_Liar_.

With a sigh, Sakura closed off her mind, and her heart, not wanting to think about it anymore. Not wanting to feel anymore.

_Tomorrow's another day. You'll feel better_.

Thoughtfully, Sakura gazed at the red couch, thinking of other things.

Yep. She _will_ feel better.

She vowed to herself that.

"So...Ino?"

"Hm?"

She smiled, slowly. "Did you enjoy your...erm, experiment with Naruto?"

The smile became a grin as Ino scowled. See?

She was feeling better already.

_Liar._

"Forehead?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**a/n: Yep...and that's the end! ...no, wait, just kidding! I think it will extend to more than three chapters yet before the end. Not sure. Hehe. Whatever. We'll just wait and see.**

**So, think there's still a chance for them?**

**P.S. I know, i know...i'm a NaruHina fan, too...but well, let's be unique...hehe. The NaruIno here isn't the focus, anyway. Go, KakaSaku! :)**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Naruto wasn't stupid. In fact, he was far from it. Maybe most people thought he was, because he was loud and brash and reckless—and he pretty much acted immature and idiotic most of the time. The truth was, that was just him—he was a child at heart, and no matter how grown-up he already was, he knew it was a trait that wouldn't be changing anytime soon. He would _always_ be loud and brash and reckless, and he didn't find anything wrong with it. At all.

But no.

He wasn't stupid.

He knew Sakura wasn't crying because of some trivial monthly period—he knew her enough to know that she wouldn't cry over something like that. Alright, so maybe it came to his head first...but he immediately dismissed it (though before dismissing, he had obviously managed to blurt it out firsthand). Sakura didn't cry over such things, because during her monthly periods, she usually threw temper tantrums. Cute temper tantrums, he had to admit—but temper tantrums nonetheless.

So it had, obviously, to be something else.

And he, being a curious one, wanted to find out.

It was going to be his mini-mission.

When in a mission, there were steps to be taken—the first, naturally, was to search. So, the thing he did first was go to Kakashi's apartment. It was only a few blocks away from where he had been (at the thought of Ino's apartment, he began blushing again), and he arrived in record time. He knocked, loudly. Even yelled, a couple of times. When it seemed like no one was going to answer, he impatiently let himself in, thinking the lazy pervert was probably just in bed, sleeping his eyes off or something like that. Maybe he could play a prank, before he got to the asking.

It turned out nobody was home.

A bit dejected, but not one to give up so easily (hell, no!), Naruto figured that the best way of tracing what happened was by tracing Sakura's activities. So, he went to the next step of the mission: he asked around. Most of the answers were pretty confusing, and this greatly disturbed him because really—how hard was it to track down the earlier movements of the only girl of Konoha with...well, pink hair? Not hard, really. Eventually, after a lot of enduring the bizarre answers he had gotten (_ah, the cherry blossom of youth! She must be in heaven, where she belongs – because she is the goddess of beauty and springtime!)_, and a lot of yelling on his part (_I said pink hair, not boobs, you senbon pervert! Stop telling me if you saw her breasts or not, because you're not even supposed to be looking!), _he finally got enough to point him towards the Hokage tower—which, when he thought about it (which he obviously didn't do, considering his impulsive nature), should have been his first destination in the first place.

Ah, well.

Predictably, when he entered the office, only a mass of blond hair could be seen—the rest was smashed up on the desk, behind a pile of papers, and the only thing visible (other than the hair) was the hand holding an empty sake bottle loosely.

It made Naruto grin, at the normalcy of the sight.

Being the loudmouth that he was, Naruto remained unperturbed, and opted to let his presence be known in the only way he deemed right (_OI, BAA-CHAN! WAKEY, WAKEY! OI!). _Naturally, this didn't go well with the female blond Sannin, and Naruto was pretty much screamed at and thrown objects at (like the already-broken bottle) before the Hokage finally calmed down, some thirty minutes later—though she was still glaring viciously at him.

Naruto grinned again, a tad bit wider.

Then, remembering his purpose, he got down to business.

"Neh, Baa-chan...do you know what happened to Sakura today?"

He expected the old lady to scream at him again, and continue on by snapping it was none of his business, and that he should just leave before she could pound his skull and crush it to pieces (no, wait, not pieces—to _dust_). He was still grinning, knowing this was gonna happen, because this was routine, and like ramen, this was a part of his daily life.

But his grin faltered when he saw her not scream, but do something else.

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously instead.

"What makes you think something happened to Sakura today?"

No, he wasn't stupid.

And he definitely wasn't going to give up until he found every single detail out.

"BAA-CHAN-YOU'RE-HIDING-SOMETHING-TELL-ME-EVERYTHING-_NOW_!"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

An hour later, a distraught and very shocked Naruto exited the Hokage building.

Okay, more like been kicked out.

Rubbing his head (which _still _took a slight, but still-very-painful pounding), he let himself walk aimlessly, as he thought over the things that the old lady had said.

Okay, more like spit out. Forcefully (he really was manipulative, he had to give himself credit for that).

It wasn't the answer he'd expected.

And he certainly never thought the Council would get involved.

Naruto wasn't a thinker, and he knew that was quite obvious with his actions. He wasn't a thinker, because thinking gave you problems, and it complicated your life. Plus, after complicating your life, all it could really provide you is a big, messy headache. He hated headaches, because they made him feel unwell, and when he was unwell, his appetite was gone. Lost appetites never worked for him, because really...who could live without eating ramen for so long?

But now he was thinking. And the more he thought, the more he felt his heart hurt, and not just for himself.

This time, it hurt for Sakura.

He knew what it was like to be condemned by people—especially by those who were far more powerful and superior than you. Most of the time, there's really nothing you could do, but endure it, and keep your head high. That was what he did most of his life; smiling through the pain, and the inferiority that has been established in him since childhood. Swallowing the fear of just not being good enough.

Taking it in stride everytime he was called a monster.

He knew Sakura deserved none of this, and he knew he was going to do whatever it took to help her. After all, she was the one person who'd been there for him to protect _him_ whenever he was condemned; she accepted him, for who he was. Heck, for what he was.

She was his friend.

And in his vocabulary (which, he had to admit, was quite limited—except when it came to perverted and curse words), friends stick together.

With an agitated scowl (and a vow to beat up whoever it was who dared tell the Council), Naruto headed to the one place he considered sanctuary, deciding to brood it over.

"Ayame-san! Can I have eight bowls of miso ramen?!"

Ayame looked at his scowling expression for a while, before nodding her head uncertainly.

"Er...sure thing, Naruto."

She disappeared from view, and came back five minutes later, two of the eight bowls in hand. Naruto grumbled a thanks, and proceeded eating moodily.

"Dobe."

He looked up, his mood brightening a bit when he saw who it was.

"Oi, Teme! Come sit down and eat ramen with me!"

Silently, Sasuke sat down, eyeing the noodles sloppily dripping down Naruto's chin in disgust. He looked up as Ayame entered again, laying down two more steaming bowls in front of Naruto. The Uchiha's eyebrows rose.

"Dobe, you'll get fat."

"Like I care!" Naruto growled, glaring at the other. Sasuke's brows rose higher, as he observed the blond attack the food with more vigor.

And viciousness, for that matter.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing!"

Sasuke scoffed. "Doesn't sound like a nothing."

"Why are you so damn talkative today?!" Naruto snapped—then immediately retracted when he saw Sasuke glare at him, and make a move to leave. With a sigh, he grabbed the raven-haired boy's wrist, and firmly pulled him down again.

"No, stay. I have something to tell you."

Sasuke resisted, pulling back his arm and freeing it with a flick.

"Whatever, dobe."

"It's about Sakura, you nitwit."

For a while, Naruto felt the other stiffen, before grudgingly sitting back down.

"You might as well order. This is gonna be long."

Still grudgingly, Sasuke ordered a bowl of shrimp ramen. After the order, Naruto proceeded to finish up his two bowls, down to the last bit (ignoring Sasuke's threats to stop wasting his time all the while). He impatiently waited for Sasuke's and his last few bowls to arrive.

Then slowly, he began to tell the other what had happened.

It was a rare sight, really, when you think about it—the loudmouth speaking in low tones for once, and the Uchiha not interrupting a single word. As the one-sided talking progressed, it was noted that the water cup Sasuke was gripping hard had cracked, and the remaining bowls Naruto had been served lay there, completely forgotten. When the talking finished, Naruto silently went to devouring his now-cold meal, while Sasuke brooded into his own.

It took a while before one of them spoke again.

"Dobe. What do you plan to do?" Sasuke asked, still brooding into his ramen.

With a lightened heart now, Naruto began grinning.

"Why, kick Kakashi's ass first, of course! The exact moment he gets back from his mission!"

"You won't be the only one," Sasuke promised, his eyes darkening.

"Then I guess make sure Sakura gets her happiness," Naruto mused, his expression thoughtful.

Eyes softening, Sasuke nodded. "Hn."

"Neh...teme?"

"What?"

"Got any ideas?"

Sasuke thought for a while, before nodding. "Make Kakashi jealous. Use someone."

Naruto stared, frowning. Then, when he realized what the teme was talking about, his frown deepened accordingly.

"But teme," he whined, "You can't mean _you_! You'll only get carried away, what's with your hots over Sakura-chan!"

The Uchiha glared at this, but didn't deny the truth. He growled, however.

"Idiot. I didn't mean me."

"THEN WHO??"

Sasuke remained silent, and for a while the blond loudmouth wondered if the other had even heard him. Before he could repeat his question, a voice behind them spoke up, distracting the two and making them turn their heads in unison.

"Why, hello, dickless. And traitor. Can I join you?"

Naruto looked.

Stared.

Grinned. Slyly.

Beside him, Sasuke smirked.

They looked at each other and nodded.

"Dobe. Looks like we've got ourselves a plan."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ino knew she had promised lots of people many things, all ranging from the mundane, the silly, the naughty...down to the very, very serious ones. As a girl who was more interested in fashion and boys than anything else on earth, Ino knew half of those promises may have already been forgotten (either by her or the one she had made the promise to), put at the back of her mind for future purposes—or rather, for _her_ personal purposes.

She was a devious girl, yes. And she was damn proud of it.

Out of all the promises she had made to her best friend, she had broken only one—and that was when she and Sakura were back in their childhood days, and she had promised the constantly-bullied, pink-haired girl that they would be friends forever. Which, of course, became void when all they could do was argue about who loved Sasuke the best, and who deserved to be with Sasuke better. Later on, she began to realize that their rivalry had been pointless, and so went on to mend the friendship that they had begun and that she had regretted even severing (or at least, letting Sakura sever it) a long time ago. Suffice to say, she had never broken a promise to the girl after that.

But maybe today could be an exception.

Yes, she had promised Sakura that she would leave the whole matter alone, especially the one person who had been the instigator of this little mess. But seriously...did the medic nin expect her to actually _keep_ that promise?

_Probably not_, she thought to herself.

With that reasoning in mind, Ino made her way into the one place where she knew something could be done. She rounded some halls, and pretty much tried to avoid people that could recognize her, and that might waste her time with pleasantries. She did it easily, of course, considering she was a kunoichi, and an expert one at that (well, at least she hoped so). It didn't take her long to find the target, just by a few subtle inquiries—and lots of flirting to make sure they forgot about it later on, in case they were asked.

Said target was at the hospital's staff lounge, hanging out with some other nurses and medics. Ino's eyes narrowed, calculatingly eyeing the neatly-tied red hair, crisp nurse's uniform, and hand delicately holding a cup of steaming coffee. Another girl, a brown-haired one, was talking animatedly to a fellow medic—the blond kunoichi noticed that whatever the girl was saying had the target narrowing her own eyes, and frowning. Intrigued at this, Ino silently tried to listen.

"Oh, I really, really want to be like Sakura-chan someday! Did you know that just two weeks ago, she pretty much managed to save _three_ lives all at the same day? And I'm talking people on the verge of death here. Not many could do that, I tell you."

"I wasn't on duty that day, but yeah, I think everyone's heard about that. Great, huh?"

"I know. And she's really nice, too. Last week she helped me with studying this difficult surgery procedure..."

Keisa's frown had gotten deeper, as the chatting went on. Ino would have been fine with this (hell, she was inwardly _jumping _for joy for her friend with this!), but that vanished when she saw Keisa's frown slowly turn into a smirk.

A very satisfied, _very_ evil-looking smirk.

"Really?" Keisa said lightly, demurely taking another sip on her cup. She smiled, sweetly. "That's not what I heard."

Instantly, all eyes were on her.

_Oh, no, you don't._

It was Ino's cue.

Without further ado, Ino took a deep breath. Then she stepped away from her hiding place (a peek away from the lounge, just beside the door, behind a really tall potted plant), and barged into the group, her face showing concern.

_Curtains up, everyone_.

"Oh, thank goodness there's someone here!" Ino cried, eyes widening as she stared at the roomful of people (well, not exactly roomful—thank Kami Tsunade and Shizune weren't there). Immediately, everyone's eyes darted towards her.

She inwardly smirked.

"Who are you?" one of them asked.

Surprised, the brown-haired girl looked at her in recognition, instantly standing up.

"Hey, aren't you a friend of Sakura-chan's? You're In...um, Ina...?"

"It's Ino," Ino said hastily, smiling at the girl. She made the smile disappear quickly, and went forward. "Tsunade-sama sent me to get someone to do Sasuke-kun's physical examination before he goes on his next mission...anyone available?" She made sure to ignore Keisa at this.

The brown-haired girl smiled. "Oh, that's it? I thought it was serious. Why not ask Sakura-chan? I'm sure she'll take time from her day-off. She's always the one assigned to do the physicals of her team and—"

"But you don't understand!" Ino cried out, scrunching up her face in frustration. A few people looked startled. "I can't find her and the check-up has to be done _now_! It's—I—his cock is itching really badly and he says someone needs to see it and check it up because it's gone very, very red!"

Okay, the last part was sort of _not_ part of the plan.

It took Ino's whole self-control not to gape like an idiot when all of a sudden, every female in the room stood up, their eyes lighting up and their expressions very, very eager.

Oh, Kami. Did she look as idiotic as _that_ when she salivated over the Uchiha all those years ago?

She dearly hoped not.

With a placid and still-concerned face, Ino eyed the suddenly-frantic females in interest.

"I'll do it!" one black-haired, petite girl said, holding up her clipboard. "I'm free and—"

A chubby woman glared. "We are all free. Let me do it, I'm older—"

"You guys, I'm the one with the longest break, perhaps I should check him out—er, I meant up! I—"

"Sasuke-kun needs delicate hands! I'm new, so I've got the most delicate hands!"

It was a fiasco. Most of the males had backed out of the room, some rolling their eyes, while others merely sighing in exasperation. Ino would have done the same, but decided it would do her no good. A really cute male passed her—she winked, earning a blush and a stuttered greeting. She thought the blush was cute, but nowhere near as cute as—

Her eyes widened.

Oh, hell _no_.

She was _not_ going to be thinking about a certain blond now. _No_.

With a sigh, and frankly slightly irritated with herself, Ino turned her attention back to the arguing group. Her eyes zoned in on the brown-haired girl, who had remained quiet during the whole tirade. Surprisingly enough, Keisa had remained silent, too, and was still sitting in her corner—but Ino noticed that the nurse's eyes had grown thoughtful, and calculating. Ino pretended to ignore this, and turned fully to the medic who had praised Sakura sincerely minutes earlier.

"You," she spoke out, pointing to the brown-haired girl. Said girl squeaked.

"M—me?"

"What's your name?" Ino demanded.

"Erm...it's Tina," the girl said.

Ino nodded. "Okay, Tina, go get Sasuke-kun checked."

If it was possible, Tina squeaked louder. She promptly began turning bright red.

"I—you can't—" She stuttered.

"Tina? Now!" Ino practically yelled.

Oh, hell. She hoped her plan actually worked.

Inwardly bracing her breath, and inwardly crossing her fingers, Ino watched, as Tina nervously nodded, much to the other females' chagrin. She watched, as Tina hesitantly took her clipboard from a seat, and fastened her stethoscope around her neck.

She watched, as Keisa suddenly stood up.

And oh-so-accidentally stumbled, and spilled her steaming coffee.

All over Tina's white blouse.

_Bingo_.

"Oh, I am _so_ sorry," Keisa gushed, sweetly fluttering her lashes at the now-distraught Tina. For a moment, Ino felt some pity for the girl, and tried to control any resentment and anger from crossing her face. Her hands involuntarily fisted.

"I guess you won't be able to check up on Sasuke-kun now," Keisa continued, a hint of triumph in her tone. The other girls seemed to have caught on to this, and immediately either glared, or cooed over Tina's now-scalded skin. Keisa merely smirked, and coolly walked towards Ino.

Ino's eyebrow rose.

Keisa's eyebrow rose back.

"_I'll_ be doing the check-up now," Keisa informed haughtily, daring the blond to contradict her.

With a _very_ reluctant face (and a _very_ convincing scowl), Ino shrugged.

"Whatever you say," she muttered, huffing a bit.

Keisa smiled (fakely), and drew up her chin. She left the lounge, and left the girls and Ino behind.

Trying not to scream, Ino followed.

_Control, girl. Just a few more seconds._

The moment they were out of the lounge, and headed towards the reception area, Ino had finally had enough.

She immediately whirled on the other, determined to finally give the redhead a piece of her mind.

"You really are a bitch, aren't you?" Ino stated, glaring.

Blue eyes merely stared. "Am I?" Keisa taunted, voice sarcastic. "Now where's Sasuke-kun? I'll be...assigned on him now."

At this, Ino smirked. "Too bad. Your assignment has been cancelled."

Keisa stopped at the words. Her eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you being a bitch and a gossip—not to mention a tattletale to dear old uncle!"

The words sunk in, but it took a moment for Keisa to realize what the other was talking about—however, the moment it did sink in, Ino did not miss the flare of smugness in the nurse's eyes, before covering it up quickly.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Ino-chan," the redhead mused innocently.

Ino glared harder. "You damn well know, you retard—now stay away from Sakura and Kakashi if you know what's good for you."

Ino thought that would have been enough to put the other in her place—but no. As she looked on, she saw Keisa suddenly smirk.

Triumphantly.

"Oh. Those two? I heard Kakashi-kun dumped that stupid bitch," she said, voice mocking. Eyes twinkling with glee. She mock-sighed. "Heh, who could blame him? I'm sure after being inside _me_, he probably thought fucking that good-for-nothing reject wasn't really worth it—"

Ino didn't know what had triggered it, but maybe it had to do with the words. Or expression. Or voice.

But she suddenly began seeing red.

SLAM!

With a vicious slap on the face, Ino managed to knock the redhead backwards, and stumbling. Keisa's head snapped up, her hand flying in shock to her now-reddened cheek.

"Don't ever call Sakura that, you worthless slut," Ino snapped angrily.

"Oh, you mean _bitch_? Because she is a bitch—"

BAM!

"Ow! You stupid whore!" Keisa screamed, holding her other cheek now. You will pay for that!"

"What, you gonna tell dear uncle?" Ino mocked, crossing her arms. "I'm sure he will—"

BAM!

Before Ino could continue, she was suddenly stumbling backwards harder. She took hold of her nose, where the pain mostly concentrated. It had been punched.

_Punched._

Punched!

"You did _not_ just punch me," Ino growled.

"I did. _Filthy slut_. I won, and there's nothing you can do about it."

And Keisa, with one last smile, turned around, and sauntered sexily, a definite victorious swing of her hips.

Enough was enough.

"Oh, I don't think so," Ino hissed. Her hands fisted to balls. Her eyes narrowed to slits.

Without thinking anymore, Ino charged. Snarled.

She jumped, on Keisa's back.

And attacked.

"Ow! My hair! My nails—YOU BLOND BITCH!"

And Keisa attacked back.

It was chaos from then on.

There was the scraping of nails, and the biting using teeth, and the punch here and there. Ino didn't care, because this was deserved, and she was going to fight until the very end.

However, she didn't expect to be pulled at the waist, and for the battle (she considered it a battle) to stop so easily. From the haze of rage in her mind, she saw with some satisfaction that Keisa looked messed-up, her hair in disarray and her clothes very rumpled—and cheeks very, very red now. Not caring who the puller was, Ino continued struggling, and snarling at the redhead.

"You stupid queen wanna-be!" she growled, glaring.

To her surprise, Keisa didn't glare back. Instead she slumped, as if defeated. Tears welled in her eyes, slowly. Then she cried, on the shoulder of the person that was holding her own waist down.

It took Ino a moment to realize that the one holding Keisa was none other than Sasuke.

It took her another to register the voice calling to her, and the fact that she was still struggling.

"Ino-chan, stop it, you're going to get hurt," the voice—the very familiar male voice—pleaded.

Ino stilled instantly. Before she knew it, a speck of blond hair was in her view, and big blue eyes were suddenly looking into her own. Hands rubbed up and down her arms, causing warm, unexpected tingles, and sudden goosebumps.

"You okay?" Naruto asked softly, eyeing her with concern.

She instantly blushed, and suddenly realized that she _never_ blushed when it came to...others.

Oh, my Kami.

With a start, Ino pulled away, and tried not to look like an idiot. Naruto, who seemed to also be turning a bit red, simply scratched his head, and nervously grinned.

They mutely—yes, mutely—stared at each other.

"Ehem."

Jumping back, Naruto glared at Sasuke, who had made the sound—and who was raising an eyebrow at the proceedings. Narrowing her eyes, Ino stared at her target before she had gotten...er, distracted.

The redhead was still clutching onto Sasuke's shirt.

"Sasuke-kun, help me," Keisa whimpered meekly, her mouth touching somewhere near Sasuke's neck. Her hands were all over him. "That—that woman's _crazy_."

Sasuke looked on, no emotion on his face. Slowly, he turned towards Ino.

"I am _not_ crazy," Ino blurted out, glaring at the trying-to-be-innocent nurse.

"Well, sometimes you are," Naruto supplied—which earned him a bop on the head by the blond female. He winced.

"Well, why would you hit her? What did she do?" Naruto asked, looking confused.

"I am no tattletale," Ino huffed, crossing her arms. "And that it between us."

Still whimpering, Keisa pushed her body towards Sasuke closer, making sure her breasts pressed onto his chest. There was a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes—something which Ino knew only females could really distinguish. She was sure she was the only one who saw it, because it vanished later, and was instantly replaced by another meek and helpless expression.

"Protect me, please," Keisa pleaded softly, sweetly.

For a while, Ino thought the Uchiha was going to give in, considering how he wasn't dissuading her, and was just letting her sob (fakely) there. She really thought he was going to comfort the woman, and let Ino take the blame.

But something happened.

Before Ino could react, onyx eyes snapped directly into hers.

"Ino?" Sasuke said, voice even.

"What?" Ino snapped, stance determined.

What came out was totally unexpected.

"You're a really good friend to our teammate. Thank you."

Naruto stared.

Ino froze.

Keisa froze.

Then, before Ino could react again, the redhead was suddenly pulling away, and looking at the raven-haired Uchiha in disbelief.

"Sasuke-kun, how could you?!" she screeched, her eyes smoldering now—yes, the fangs were showing again. "You prefer that Haruno bi—"

She stopped, when Sasuke stepped forward. Gazed.

His Sharingan was now open.

"I prefer you not continue that sentence," he said, softly.

"But—I thought you want me—"

"You're annoying."

The pleading words left Keisa's mouth immediately.

With a smile, Ino watched her glare, at each of them. Well, okay—at only her and Naruto. The girl seemed to be afraid to look Sasuke in the eye anymore (who wouldn't be?). Ino kept on watching as Keisa stalked off, ignoring the people staring and gawking at them. When a patient walked in her way, Keisa instantly growled, and pushed the patient off bad-temperedly. The patient fell to the side, and Ino was about to go indignant and attack again, when—

"HANO KEISA! YOU DID NOT JUST DO THAT!"

In came the Hokage herself, from the opposite room. Roaring. Glaring.

And man—were there fury sparks.

"Uh, guys...I think we should go now," Ino suggested, smiling widely as she heard the words suspension and punishment come out of the blond Sannin's howling mouth. Sasuke nodded, and silently started to walk away.

"Oi, teme, I don't understand—what was that crap you were telling Keisa-chan?"

With a sigh, Ino ignored the still-analyzing Uzumaki (she particularly ignored trying to catch his eye, and getting those...erm, unwanted tingles again), and contentedly followed the walk to the hospital's back entrance.

"Dobe. Think, will you?"

Yep. Justice was served today.

"But—"

"_Hano_, Naruto," Ino said, rolling her eyes. "The key word's Hano."

And, oh, boy—how delicious a justice it was.

"Wait a minute—what the hell does Hano mean??"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_Five minutes later..._

"_WHA—I GET IT NOW! IT WAS KEISA WHO TOLD THE COUNCIL! WAA—LET ME PUNCH HER! LET ME PUNCH HER—OW! TEME!"_

"_...dobe."_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**a/n: Yes, Naruto isn't stupid - but he can be painfully dense sometimes. Hehe. Sorry for not including any Kaka or Saku here. But there's plenty of fun vengeance and plotting. I was in the mood to ruin Keisa's dignity, you see. Haha. And I didn't want Sakura to sink to the redhead's level. Please forgive Ino for being petty, but I think that was well-intended, don't you? Hope you had fun reading.**

**More KakaSaku soon!**

**Review equals Love! So...share some love, please! :)**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

It had been more than two months since they'd last seen each other, and Sakura knew it would probably be better to keep it that way. To take her mind off thoughts that she didn't want to think about, Sakura took up plenty of shifts—even the ones that didn't belong to her. She kept herself occupied, doing the things that she loved, and the things that kept her mostly busy. Hanging out with friends. Cooking. Tutoring medic hopefuls. Clubbing. Flirting. Training. By the time she went home at night, she was too exhausted to feel, let alone think. It didn't matter, really, because two months alone was a pretty long time.

She didn't even miss him anymore.

Nor his touch.

Nor his kisses.

Nor anything else remotely related to him.

She had finally moved on.

"Sakura, what's taking so long? You do realize Ino's gonna kill you if we're late for her birthday, don't you?"

Tossing a white blouse on her bed in frustration, Sakura ignored the question, and continued rummaging around in her closet for something suitable to wear. True, Ino _would_ kill her if she was late for the party...but didn't the blond say it herself that she would kill Sakura _faster_ if Sakura didn't dress to satisfy?

Normally, Sakura would have told Ino long ago to just drop dead, and wear whatever she wanted—but unfortunately, it being her best friend's birthday, she had no choice but to comply.

That girl could be very screechy when not granted her birthday requests.

"Sakura, come on...why not just wear what Ino let you borrow?"

With a sigh, Sakura turned to the speaker, who was sitting on her bed lazily, one hand dangling a pale, shimmery red outfit in the air. She eyed the piece of clothing in distaste, before turning to its dangler, Tenten, who was watching her in amusement.

"Tenten, I am _not _wearing that excuse of a dress even if you paid me. I will look like a slut."

Tenten grinned. "Ah, but a very attractive one."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "How long have you been hanging out with Ino, anyway? You're starting to sound just like her!"

Tenten shrugged. "A couple weeks. Months. Whatever. We've been training together every other day, you see."

"No wonder," Sakura mumbled.

"But _whatever_. That's not the point. The point is, Ino specifically told me to make sure you looked good—and she specifically told me to make you wear this dress. So? Come on already. Wear it and let's go."

She stood up, and dangled the dress closer in Sakura's face. Sakura snatched it, and promptly threw it back on the bed.

"No. I'll find something else. And I'll look good on it."

It was Tenten's turn to roll her eyes. "Jeez, you are so stubborn. Fine. If you say so. Can I go now? I have to meet Neji and Lee before we go to Ino's. And Hinata's coming with us, I think."

Sakura smiled mischievously. "And I presume Kiba would go with you guys, too?"

Tenten grinned slyly. "Oh, you know the guy. Practically smitten. I wish he'd just hurry up and already tell the dang girl he wants her!"

"It's called timing, Tenten."

"Whatever, Sakura. So...can I go _now?_"

"Sure. Go ahead."

"But Sakura, you have to make sure—"

"—that I'll look good and not let the Pig kill us both? I promise, Tenten." Sakura smiled again, seeing the sparkle come in Tenten's brown eyes. "Now go." With a shooing motion, Sakura let the other finally go, and made sure that the red dress went with her—otherwise, desperation might prove to be her undoing. The moment Tenten was gone, she went back to her closet, tossing clothes here and there, until said closet became almost bare. She stared. She sighed.

All she had were some granny panties, a torn-up bra, and a skirt that she had since she was twelve years old. She could have laughed, for the misfortune of actually forgetting to do her laundry on the day that she needed it.

What would she freaking wear now??

Rubbing her eyes, Sakura tossed some more clothes out, until only two dresses were left. She took them both, eyed them. Frowned.

One was faded, and the other was...well, Ino's.

And sexy as hell, and very, very short. And clingy. And revealing. She would know.

After all, she'd worn it months ago at one certain bar—one where disastrous results had somewhat occurred.

Blocking such results out of her thought (_do not think about it!_), Sakura groaned. She realized she had no choice, because if she wore the faded one, then she might as well dig a grave where they could bury her after Ino was finished with the killing (yes, that's how serious the girl was when it came to fashion).

Sakura closed her eyes. Sighed again. Then, resolutely, she went to the bathroom, and quietly began to change.

Hey, at least it was better than the slutty red one.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kakashi was tired, and all he wanted to do was go home and have a nice, long shower. After that, maybe eat some food, then re-read his favorite book collection. After all, it had been a long time since he'd so much as touched one—all because he forgot to bring it, in his hurry to get out of this town, and make things right.

That was more than two months ago.

In two months, he had managed to escort a town Lord and his family to another town, get flirted by the Lord's daughter (to which he remained tolerant), get seduced by the Lord's daughter (to which he did not respond), get donned up for an event (it wasn't his fault—it was the Lord who made him go, as bodyguard), get seduced again (to which he nearly, very nearly got tempted—until he realized that it was just because the woman had green eyes, and that giving in while imagining someone else was just seriously, totally sick), get in trouble (yes, some drunkards who had nothing better to do wanted to take his mask away for fun), get a new collection of adult books (though they weren't as good as Icha-Icha—he gave them away after reading), get wet dreams at least every night (especially on the first two weeks of the mission—it lessened, eventually), get nearly killed thrice (some stupid Stone nin ambushed him and the Lord on the way to said Lord's home), and get bedridden for five days (hey, at least he got to beat up said stupid Stone nins).

It was a pretty busy mission, to say the least.

With a sigh, he silently traveled through the rooftops, content on the night's humid air, and the general peacefulness of things. Just having been from the Hokage tower, he was kind of relieved to find the Hokage drunk and blissfully asleep, with her head cushioned in her hands and muttering random words like "dead" and "pummel". At least he wouldn't have to state the mission report tonight.

Not that he'd ever submitted one on time.

But still, Tsunade was nothing if not persistent. And right now, he just didn't want to deal with that kind of persistence. He wanted to enjoy being in Konoha again—his home.

He didn't miss the place, not really, because the mission kept him busy, and he just wasn't the type to miss something.

But he did miss someone.

And he knew he'd better forget about her, now that he was here.

It was safer that way.

A bit absorbed in his thoughts, Kakashi didn't notice the shadow stalking near his home, until the moment he got to his doorstep. He almost got into defensive—but then immediately realized it was a very recognizable chakra. The shadow stepped out from the trees, and cheekily grinned.

"Hatake, my man—long time no see!"

Kakashi sighed. Then he gave an eye crinkle. "Yo. How'd you know I'm back?"

Genma shifted his senbon around his mouth, and raised an eyebrow. "The gate guards told me. So, I came. Now come on. We have a party to attend to."

Figures. Where Genma was, there was bound to be a party nearby. Or vice versa.

"You know what, why don't you go and I'll just stay here—"

"Nonsense." Genma scoffed. "The night is young. And you need a fresh cup of sake to lighten you up, man."

"I'm already lightened."

Genma smirked. "You wish."

Kakashi sighed again, and ran a hand through his what he deemed travel-dirty hair. "Genma, I appreciate the offer, but there's something I have to look at—" He stopped, as an orange book was suddenly dangled in front of his nose. His eyes narrowed.

"...where did you get that?"

The senbon-chewing ninja grinned again, teeth flashing. "Why, the publishers, of course. They always keep the good man's stuff, it's practically sacred. Special edition. Want it?"

"..."

Genma's expression became even more triumphant. His grin turned back to a satisfied smirk. "I knew it. Now, come on! I won't hand this over if you don't. Just a few drinks."

And, the bad thing was, Kakashi knew it was true—the guy _wouldn't _hand such a precious book to him if he refused. A pity that would be. So maybe it was better to simply accept.

No harm in just a few drinks, right?

"Alright. A few drinks it is."

That book had better have great graphics and plotline.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ten minutes wasn't really that late, but Ino pouted all the same.

"You're late, Forehead."

Sakura gave her a very apologetic look, complete with eye flutters. "Sorry, Pig."

"That's not going to work."

With a sigh, Sakura dropped the eye flutters. "I had a hard time finding a nice dress, okay? And while the one you lent me was...erm, nice, it just...wasn't my type. But I did dress up nice for you."

"Not enough." The pouting went down further.

Sakura tried not to roll her eyes. Instead, she held out a hand, the one she had been hiding (subtly) behind her bag. A velvety red box was settled in it.

Eagerly (though not trying to show it), Ino snatched the bag, still pouting. She shook it. Opened it. Peeked.

And immediately, the pout became a delighted grin.

The blond squealed.

"Oh, Forehead! This is so _pretty_! I can't believe—wow—it's amazing—I LOVE YOU!"

To which a huge bear hug followed. There were some catcalls and whistles, and some chanting of "Kiss! Kiss!"—which ended abruptly, the moment Sakura disentangled, and gave them a very pointed glare. Still beaming, Ino ignored it all, and hastily fastened the crystal-silver necklace around her neck. She fingered it lovingly for a while, eyes focused on her pink-haired best friend.

Slowly, her mouth turned up into a smirk.

"My, my, Forehead...I didn't know you had it in you," she drawled, eyes on Sakura's black dress. Sakura looked down, confused.

"Had what?"

Ino smirked deeper. "The guts. No bra, huh?"

At the words, Sakura's eyes immediately widened. In an instant, she had a hand on the other's mouth, cheeks promptly turning bright red.

"Pig! Not so loud," she hissed.

Ino laughed, removing the hand on her mouth smoothly. "Sorry. I wasn't so loud, _jeez_. But who are you planning to seduce, anyway?"

"Nobody," Sakura replied, glaring. "I had none to wear, except a really torn up one. I haven't done my laundry. Pig—don't tell me it's obvious!" Her face took on a horrified expression, as her hands went up to cover herself.

"It's not obvious, so don't do that," Ino said, taking Sakura's hands and firmly pulling them. "I know fashion, so I knew right away, okay? Don't worry."

Sakura sighed in relief. But Ino wasn't finished.

"So, laundry day...I take it your _panties_ and _thongs_ had to be washed at well?"

It didn't take a genius to understand what the blond was implying, especially with the gleam in her blue eyes as she was staring down at Sakura's legs.

Sakura could do nothing but turn redder than ever.

Ino's eyes widened. "Oh. My. Kami. Are you telling me you're not wearing—"

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

"MY LOVELY BLOSSOM!"

"Ugly."

"DON'T CALL HER UGLY, YOU UGLY NINJA!"

Sakura wasn't sure if she should be glad or not for the interruption. On the one hand, she was glad Ino hadn't been able to continue her statement—mostly, of course, because it wasn't true. She _was_ wearing panties—just not the kind she liked. They were for oldies, and they were very loose that she knew they would fall with just one flicker of a hand, or with too much movement. How embarrassing.

On the other hand, she really wasn't in the mood for certain loudmouths right now—especially knowing their actions were just gonna bring on unwanted attention, which might make her uncomfortable predicament more...well, uncomfortable.

Looks like she had no choice.

Resigned, Sakura gave them a bright smile. "Hey, guys!" she greeted, as they approached and circled her and Ino. Naruto came first, grin wide and bright blue eyes shining. Lee was next, grinning just as brightly, and giving her a very attentive gaze. Behind them were Sai and Sasuke—the former beaming quite blankly and the latter looking bored.

With a grin, Ino excused herself, and went on to mingle with others.

"Sakura-chan! You've been so busy lately, I haven't seen a hair nor hide of you!" Naruto yelled, giving her an enthusiastic hug. Tentatively (for she wasn't wearing proper upper underwear), she hugged him back, still smiling.

"Hair nor hide? Been reading up, dobe?"

"Shut up, teme!"

Sasuke merely smirked, before giving Sakura a nod. Sakura grinned back.

Lee, ever-bouncing in his lovely green spandex, went out to open his arms, ready to give Sakura a hug that was far more enthusiastic than Naruto's. Before he could, however (and much to Sakura's relief), Naruto pulled him back, giving him a glare.

"My dear blossom! My lovely lady of the village! My princess—let me give you a hug!"

"Fuzzy brows, you cannot give Sakura-chan a hug!" Naruto insisted, still glaring.

"But why??"

"Erm...because you have to prove your worth first!"

Naruto seemed unsure of his last statement—but the look of uncertainty immediately became one of triumph when Lee's eyes brightened.

Suddenly, Lee's hands were in the air. "Alas! Then I shall prove myself by running one hundred laps around Konoha! That way, I can be worthy to hug my lovely, beautiful Sakura-chan!"

"Make it two hundred!" Naruto yelled.

"Two hundred it is!"

And with that, and his patented nice guy pose (the thumbs-up and the almighty ping of the teeth), Lee was suddenly off, running outside the pub, with declarations of love and Sakura-chan all the way. The pub had been rented for the whole night, and it was safe to say that practically every shinobi in town was there, whether they were friends of the birthday girl or just around for the free drinks.

With a sigh, Sakura tried not to notice the stares (or turn red from them), and gave Naruto a disapproving look. "That was pretty mean, Naruto."

Naruto merely grinned. "Nah. You know he loves his laps. Anyway—it's nice seeing you again, Sakura-chan! I missed you! And so did the teme! And guess who else misses you?"

Not waiting for a reply, Naruto enthusiastically turned to his left, where Sai was still beaming blankly. Without further ado, the blond pulled said beaming guy, and promptly shoved him directly towards Sakura. Sai continued beaming, and slowly held out a hand.

"You look wonderful today, Sakura," Sai said.

Sakura eyed him in confusion, wondering where her old nickname went. When he continued holding out his hand, she hesitantly held her own out, figuring he had probably read some book about manners and handshaking.

Nevertheless, it came as a surprise when her hand was indeed taken, but not shook—instead, with widened eyes, Sakura stared as Sai slowly, and ever so gently kissed the back of her hand.

With relish, and sincerity, it looked like.

With a wide, very happy beam, Naruto gripped Sasuke's arm (who, by the way, was frowning a bit), and practically hauled him off in another direction (with loud goodbyes to Sakura and Sai, of course).

Ignoring the goodbyes, Sai simply sidled closer to the still-confused female.

"Want a drink, Sakura?" he asked, holding out a hand again.

"Erm..."

What was she supposed to say?

"...sure, I guess."

Resigned, she took the hand, and let the other pull her towards the bartender.

Her friends sure were acting weird today.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

From the corner of his eye, Genma had been busily watching the scantily-clad ladies walk from here to there, cheerfully jingling up his hormones. He would have gladly joined and flirted, as that was his hobby—but another very interesting sight had somehow caught his gaze.

Sakura, wearing the same dress she had worn when he had first deemed her delectable.

Sakura, being kissed in the hand by none other than the artist ninja of Konoha.

Sakura, being led by the hand into the bar, and not at all protesting.

With some amusement, Genma watched, as the artistic shinobi became all touchy-feely with the pink-haired female. There were whispers, and lingering touches, and actions that any man or woman who wasn't blind would already surmise was a show of more-than-friends affection.

Either Sakura was blind—or she welcomed said affection.

After a few minutes, Genma saw Sakura excusing herself, a half-polite, half-warm smile on her face. She headed to the back of the pub, which most knew for a fact was the bathroom. Probably to freshen up, or something like that. With more amusement, he watched, as her hips swayed, a motion so natural and yet so tempting at the same time. He did not stop watching, until said hips disappeared out of sight.

"Well, that was quite a sight there. Major flirting, I tell you. Whatcha think, Hatake?"

Silence.

"Kakashi?"

With some surprise, the senbon-wielding ninja turned to look behind him—and found the seat empty. There was a cracked (well, more like broken) cup in the middle of the table. Confused, he looked around.

His confusion became a smirk, when he saw a distinct blob of silver hair, eyes on book, walk idly in a certain, very certain direction.

Sipping his sake, Genma settled into his seat, and prepared to enjoy the show.

He was sure there was one to come.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sakura didn't know what to think.

Either the drink was starting to affect her, or Sai...wait a minute. It sounded so wrong.

Was Sai actually _hitting _on her?

Perhaps it was the drink. After all, she wasn't exactly a drinker, and maybe a few glasses of what she had drunk had suddenly let loose her overactive imagination, and made her think about something that wasn't even happening. But, then again...didn't she have just one drink?

_And it was red wine, you moron. One measly glass of red wine._

Inner Sakura just had to point that out, didn't she?

With a sigh, Sakura tried to ignore the voice, and focused on her reflection in the mirror outside the pub's bathroom. She looked okay. Squirming, Sakura remembered why she had excused herself in the first place—well, other than the fact that Sai's actions were getting pretty uncomfortable. Once again, her panties were nearly falling off her hips—a darn inconvenience, really, especially knowing that she was gonna be staying here all night (another one of Ino's requests). She should have just done her laundry in the first place...but then, what's done is done, right?

It wasn't like she could go back in time and changed things.

Many, many things.

But back to Sai. Sakura stared at her reflection in the mirror, not really seeing it. She was thinking. What was he doing? Sure, she knew he had reads lots of books about manners and dealing with people, as well as emotions. For all she knew, this was another one of his frequent practices on them. But seriously...flirting? Touching? Sly, husky whisperings?

Jeez, the guy was actually pretty good at it.

He'd complimented her all night. Sincerely, she might add. She knew it was sincere, because she knew when Sai was being fake—and it seemed this wasn't one of those times. Was this a test? A prank of some sort? Was Naruto or Sasuke involved?

If they were, then she was going to make sure they never saw daylight again—well, for about a month, anyway.

But if not...if this was actually some real thing that Sai was expressing...then she supposed she was...erm, flattered? Weirded out?

She had absolutely no idea.

With another sigh, Sakura shook her head, and tried to erase all complicated thoughts completely out of it. This was Ino's night—it was ridiculous to ponder over such silly things, and just get distracted by it in the process. Best if she just went with the flow, so to speak. And enjoy the company (and party) while she was at it.

Decided now, Sakura let out a slow smile, winking at herself in the mirror. Without further ado, she looked around—no one anywhere to see her so far. Quickly, she bent down, and immediately placed both hands under her skirt, lifting them a bit in the process.

Smoothly, she took away the panties, and placed them on the nearest trash bin.

It wasn't like anyone was going to notice it.

Sighing in relief, she smoothed her skirt back down, making sure no wrinkles could be seen. She tugged, too—an action she considered a necessity, because she now had no underwear on, not a single stitch. She'd best be careful in her movements now (hey, at least she wouldn't have to worry about her panties falling off by accident anymore). Finished, Sakura straightened back up, ready to look at herself one more time in the mirror.

She froze.

And stared at the reflection of someone just about a meter behind her.

"Kakashi."

In an instant, her heart thudded, and all thoughts of Ino and party and Sai went flying out of her head. All she could see was silver hair, and eyes that she'd missed looking at for _days. _He was here. He was finally here, after months of being gone. Maybe he had come to apologize, or at least let them talk it all out, or at least make some attempt to be friends again, or—

"Are you trying to seduce Sai?"

Or not.

No hi's. No hello's. Not even a casual little sorry.

"What?" Sakura asked, albeit dumbly.

His eyes, which were staring at her skirt, had now trailed up, to gaze into her green ones, through the mirror.

Her breath almost caught, at what she saw.

He looked absolutely emotionless. _Emotionless._

"You heard me, Sakura."

"I—"

"Seducing him? Letting him flirt? Flirting back? Is that your hobby now?" he asked, voice casual.

Her eyes widened. Her heart pounded. Broke a little bit again.

_He doesn't care, does he?_

No. He obviously didn't.

And it was best if she just didn't, as well.

_Because caring certainly hurt like hell._

Slowly, Sakura tilted her chin up. Turned around, to face him.

Then she smiled. Very, very sweetly.

"Yes."

A pause.

"And it's none of your business, Kakashi. After all...we're through, remember?"

And with that, she fled. Head held high, and dignity intact.

And more determined now than she'd ever been in her life.

Oh, she was so going to enjoy the night now. With Sai. With everybody. With any willing man there was.

And she was going to make sure he witnessed every bit of it.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**a/n: Yes, Kakashi is being a jerk. But what's the reason behind it? Hmm...that's for next chapter!**

**Review! This story is nearing it's end, so I'm kinda getting sad. Hehe. :)**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

He didn't mean to say any of those words.

He didn't mean to say _anything_.

But seeing her like that, looking so pretty and fine and having some guy all over her, without her punching the guy or doing any damage...what was he expected to do? Just sit there and do nothing? Be all nonchalant about it?

She was _removing_ her panties.

Looking so _happy_.

It was like the fucking break-up never even existed.

_Not like you were together in the first place._

With a sigh, Kakashi viciously rammed the thoughts away, his brows furrowing. A disturbing action, really—his brows _never_ furrowed, no matter how stressful a situation could be. Quietly, he tucked his orange book inside one of his jounin pockets (not that he had been reading it anyway), his hands in another. Then he went back to his table, maneuvering the crowd and sitting down, eyes trained on nothing in particular.

She was right.

It wasn't any of his business anymore.

"And guessing by the look on your face, I would say it didn't go well."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kakashi intoned, taking his book out again, and pretending to read. The words and the pictures blurred—the only thing he could really see was this innocent village girl, being seduced by an older stranger. Jiraiya's favorite plot, it seemed.

Sakura, being seduced by Kakashi.

His fingers itched.

His heart ached.

He cursed himself, inwardly.

Silently, an unbroken cup of sake was slid his way smoothly. Nodding his head in grunted thanks, Kakashi took the drink, and in one gulp, downed its contents immediately.

Genma smirked.

"Good! Now, have more!"

Another cup was slid in his direction. Where that one came from, Kakashi had no idea. But he silently took in again. Downed it.

Genma's smirk only widened.

"Well, I guess that's enough."

"Enough for what?"

The senbon-wielding man grinned. "For the sight you're about to see."

Slowly, Genma's gaze broke away from him, and trailed to the other side of the room pointedly.

Slowly, Kakashi's lone eye followed.

And what he saw made his blood boil a violent touch of darkness.

"That's such a sweet sight, isn't it? The lucky guy—Kakashi?"

Kakashi was already gone.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sakura had stalked back to where Sai was, all smiles and bright grins for the equally beaming artist nin. She had immediately downed the contents of whatever was on the bar counter (it tasted like sex on the beach), and promptly voiced her approval for it. She had flirted a bit, and had laughed and blushed at every weird thing he'd said—be it from that she was very, very pretty tonight, down to that he was so enthralled by her presence. She had tolerated the whispers, and the touches—hell, she had even whispered and touched back. To any outside observer, she knew she was the epitome of a girl enjoying every minute of the night—and obviously anticipating and wanting more.

But her heart wasn't in it.

She didn't even need to think about the why.

"Sai, I have a question."

Sai, who was in the middle of ordering another round of drinks, turned his head back to hers in a questioning manner.

"Yes, Sakura?"

"...am I unlovable?"

There was a pause, as Sai seemed to stop what he was doing (which at that time was holding the drinks that had just arrived), and fully stared at her in what she could only deem as surprise. Well, it was kind of a blank stare, but judging from his slightly widened eyes...yes, it was surprise.

It was such a pitiful question, and even she knew it.

"Never mind, Sai. Silly question."

Cheeks reddening in embarrassment, Sakura averted her gaze, and made a move to stand up, wanting nothing more but to just spare herself the humiliation. She was such an _idiot_, she really needed to get a grip, she—

A hand on her wrist stopped her from moving. Surprised, Sakura stared back, and saw that Sai was the one holding it, the drinks already lying in wait between them. He was gazing at her seriously.

"You are, Sakura. You're very lovable."

Sakura blinked. But before she could speak, he was suddenly plowing on, obviously not wanting an interruption.

"And you should know by now that I don't consider you ugly. Next to Ino-chan...why, you're probably the most beautiful girl I know. You have a kind heart, and the best smile I have seen. Even better than Ino-chan's smile. You're a good friend, too. And a good person. And any man who doesn't see that is definitely a fool, and not worth your time."

Sakura stared. Her mouth would have dropped open, had she not realized that would have been incredibly stupid. She couldn't even begin to imagine how touched she was, because again, judging from Sai's expression, he had meant every word.

"Erm...what book did that come from?" Sakura managed, her eyes now twinkling.

Sai seemed to consider this question, as he tilted his head and thought. "It was entitled _Being Honest in Relationships_. Dickless gave it to me months ago, as a present."

"Dick—erm, I mean, Naruto gave you a _present?_" Sakura asked in awe.

"Yes. And I gladly accepted it."

Well, that was weird. But she supposed Naruto was warming up to Sai finally, for him to give the guy a gift like that.

Or maybe it was just to brush up said guy's manners.

Smiling at the thought, Sakura turned her attention back to Sai, and gently touched the back of his hand.

"Well, thank you. That's really sweet of you to say."

Sai beamed, and nodded his head.

"But I have one request," Sakura continued, still smiling.

"What is it?"

"...can you call me ugly again? At least, just between us?"

He looked surprised at this. "But you're not. And that's not being honest—"

"But I love it. It's an endearment. And endearment is meant for friends...and we are friends!" she reasoned out. When he slowly nodded his head, her smile turned into a beam, and for a while, she felt her heavy heart lighten for a while. Standing up, Sakura took a sip from the waiting glass, ready to take Sai and join the others to finally have some fun (_real_ fun this time).

She was stopped again, however, by Sai taking her wrist again.

"Sai?" She gave him a questioning glance.

Sai stood up, his gaze focused on hers. "Ugly? Can I do something? I've read that it enhances a relationship."

"Well...sure. As long as it isn't perverted."

"It's not."

"Well, okay. What—"

Sakura wasn't able to finish her questioning, thought. Because the next thing she knew, she was suddenly being pulled in.

And a pair of lips was suddenly on hers.

It took Sakura a moment to realize that she was being kissed, and by lips that she had never kissed before—Sai's. Her eyes widened, and she stared at him, uncomprehending what was happening—all she could see was that he was staring back at her, his lips rubbing hers, his black eyes curious. She made a sound—it was more like protest than a moan. From the back of her mind, she thought she heard shouting.

"YOU TEME! KISSING WASN'T PART OF THE DEAL!"

Okay, so maybe not just thought. She _was_ hearing something, apparently.

"GET AWAY FROM SAKURA-CHAN!"

And it was coming nearer every second.

Before she could disentangle from Sai, and make some kind of reaction, a hand was suddenly on her shoulder, and pulling her away. A bit dazed at what was happening (and suddenly in mind to punch Sai the moment she regained control of the situation), she looked up.

It wasn't the person who was shouting.

"Let's go," was all he said. Her heart plummeted down again, at the sight of him.

She resolutely narrowed her eyes, and put her chin up.

"No."

His own lone eye narrowed.

"Now, Sakura." His voice had gone a wee bit exasperated. She didn't know why, but it suddenly made her furious.

"No," she bit out this time, trying to sidle away from him. She came out frustrated, when the hand on her shoulder suddenly shot down to grab her elbow—and drag her closer.

She glared at him venomously.

Before she could open her mouth and speak, however, an orange and blue blur suddenly emerged, bringing forth most attention in their presence. Naruto was raising his fists at Sai, while Sasuke was simply glaring a deadly glare. Behind them, trailed Ino, Tenten and Lee (who had apparently either already finished his laps or hadn't continued it).

"What's going on?" Ino asked, a bit loudly.

"My youthful blossom! You have been plucked and taken by a worthy comrade!" Lee exclaimed, _very_ loudly.

"YOU KISSED SAKURA-CHAN! THAT WASN'T PART OF THE DEAL, YOU STUPID NINJA!" Naruto shouted—definitely the loudest of the batch.

Suddenly, everyone's attention was now on them.

Seriously—couldn't she just melt on the floor and spare herself the embarrassment?

"What deal?" Sakura asked calmly, ignoring the stares.

"What's going on?" Ino asked again, narrowing her eyes at the group.

"I was merely following what the book says, dickless," Sai intoned, beaming a bit.

"Alas! I challenge you to a duel for the heart of my lovely blossom!" Lee proclaimed.

"WELL, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE!" Naruto snarled. "AND IT'S NOT LIKE—WAIT! STOP CALLING ME DICKLESS, YOU DICKLESS! THE DEAL—"

"Dobe, shut up," Sasuke warned.

"What deal?" Sakura repeated, voice sharper this time.

"Nothing," Sasuke said firmly, taking Naruto's jacket and trying to drag him off Sai.

"It doesn't sound like a nothing," Sakura scoffed.

Ino put her hands on her hips. "People! It's my birthday, and I demand somebody tell me what's going on!"

Tenten sighed. "They kissed, Ino."

Ino looked startled. "Kakashi and Sakura?"

Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto glared. Lee squeaked.

"No!" Sakura snapped irritably. Then, remembering the hand still on her elbow, she tried to yank it away again, only to be pulled flush closer. She felt his skin on her backside, and became more furious than ever.

And very, very heated at the contact.

She tried to glare more offensively. "Let go, Kakashi."

"No."

Naruto shifted his glare to the silver-haired man. "LET HER GO, YOU—"

"We're going, Sakura. Now," Kakashi said, ignoring Naruto's yells.

"I'm _not _coming," Sakura said evenly. She was not going to cry, she was not going to cry, she was not... "You can't make me, you idiot."

His eye darkened. "You're acting childish."

Her eyes darkened back. "I am not. Don't tell me what to do. And I can kiss anyone I want."

"YES! SHE CAN KISS ANYBODY THAT SHE WANTS!" Naruto chimed in.

"Shut up, dobe," Sasuke warned again, looking exasperated now.

"The hell you can," Kakashi bit out, pulling her closer. She resisted.

"DON'T TELL ME TO SHUT UP—"

"Shut up, Naruto! I'm ordering you! Or else!" Ino yelled.

"OR ELSE WHAT??"

"OR I'LL EITHER PUMMEL YOU TO THE GROUND OR KISS YOU TIL' YOU SHUT UP!"

Dead silence.

Sakura stared. Sasuke stared. Tenten stared. Lee stared. Sai stared. Kakashi probably stared, too.

Naruto, in the meantime, simply turned a violent shade of red.

As if suddenly realizing what she had just said, Ino's blue eyes widened in alarm. Then, like Naruto, she began turning a bright shade of red.

"What youthful declaration!" Lee suddenly exclaimed, hands dramatically in the air all over again. "A true action of love and springtime's begotten admiration!"

Sai smiled. "But it's not even springtime—"

"Shut up!" Ino snapped, turning even redder. With a frustrated sigh, she suddenly took Lee's wrist in one hand—then Sasuke's in another. Sasuke was still gripping Naruto's jacket. As in on reflex, Naruto grabbed Sai by the shoulders. Tenten only stared at everyone in exasperation.

"Now let's go and leave the lovebirds alone," Ino said, before dragging them with her.

Of course, nobody budged.

"We are _not_ lovebirds," Sakura hissed through her teeth.

"Not yet," Kakashi supplied. "Not with her kissing others that way."

"Let me repeat—I can kiss anyone I want!"

"No."

"It's none of your—"

"The hell it isn't," Kakashi growled. When Naruto made a move to disentangle from Sasuke's hold, Kakashi simply whipped him a piercing stare.

"And why would it be?" Sai demanded, more out of curiosity than anything else.

Silence.

Then the piercing stare became calmer, immediately materializing into his patented eye crinkle. Then, into a serious look.

"Because she and I are going to have an affair."

Then, before Sakura could scream in protest or cry in frustration, she was suddenly grabbed closer, and smoke was filling her senses. Everyone blurred, and all that she could see, could feel...was him. Then, nothing.

Then...darkness.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sasuke watched silently as Kakashi poofed away from the presence of everybody, bringing Sakura with him. The truth was, he didn't know what to feel. Maybe he already accepted the fact that Sakura would never be his—a hard pill to swallow, really, considering he _always_ got what he wanted. But this was Sakura, and when it came to her...she wasn't a prize to be won.

No, she meant more to him than that.

The prospect of letting go was still new to him—so it was only natural for him to react at what he had seen.

If not to have her, then maybe to defend her.

He'd be damned if he let anyone hurt her again—most likely, the way _he_ had hurt her, a long time ago.

"An affair! My cherry blossom and the renowned Copy Nin are having an affair!" Lee bellowed, eyes wide and stance determined. "I will duel with him, then, for he is an even worthier opponent!"

Sai tilted his head. "Are you implying that I was not that worthy of an opponent?"

Lee shook his head vehemently. "Of course not! Your youth is boundless! Therefore I shall battle with both of you and—"

"Lee, wanna dance?" Tenten said brightly, trying to distract him.

Lee immediately gave out his nice guy pose. "Of course! Dancing is the embodiment—"

"Let's go, then!" And without further ado, Tenten was dragging Lee across the dance floor—much to everyone's relief.

Not that it was far from over.

Ino glared at everyone in the vicinity. "If all of you don't stop looking and start minding your own business, I will personally castrate each and everyone of you—a birthday treat to myself!"

It worked. Hastily, everyone averted their eyes, and went back to their business. The noise soon resumed.

Sighing, Ino turned to Naruto (who was already on the process of opening his mouth), looking him in the nose. "And if you don't lower your voice...I—I will make my threat come true."

Sasuke noticed that she stuttered the last part out.

Naruto immediately shut up. Then, he opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it. He was like a fish gaping from the lack of water.

Finally, he spoke. "Er...which threat?" he whispered, lamely. Then he immediately turned bright red.

Sasuke couldn't help sighing.

"You're both idiots," he grumbled. Quietly, he let go of Naruto's jacket, and made a move to follow his first priority. But, before he could, a hand was suddenly tugging him firmly.

"No, Sasuke," Ino said, holding onto his wrist with as much strength as she could muster.

"And why not?" Sasuke intoned simply.

"Because they need to resolve this on their own," Ino reasoned, firmly.

"But Ino-chan," Naruto whined, still in a whisper, "He might hurt her!"

"He won't," Ino said.

Sasuke eyed her in contemplation. "How would you know?"

"Because I saw the look in his eyes," she shot back.

Sai, who had pretty much been ignored throughout the whole current conversation (Naruto seemed to have forgotten being angry with him), now stepped forward. "And what look would that be?" he asked, curiously.

Silence.

Then Ino smiled, gently. Almost wistfully.

"The look that I've always wanted someone to give me," she murmured.

Then she turned on her heel, without bothering to explain. Sai was deep in thought. Naruto was confused.

Sasuke understood.

And he realized that maybe he had never looked at Sakura that way after all.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

She was beyond mad now.

She was on the verge of _exploding_.

"Let go of me, you stupid man!"

She had no idea where he had poofed them, but she was feeling pretty dizzy right now. And angry. And beyond pissed.

And she had no problem voicing that out.

"Just because we once had an affair doesn't mean we're doing it again! And don't you dare think that I am going to just put up with your arrogant ways of trying to manhan—"

Sakura was cut off, when, all of a sudden, she was backed into a wall. It took her a moment to realize that it was a brick wall, and there were almost no lights in their surroundings—they were in an alleyway, probably at the back of the pub.

And then thoughts instantly ceased her, when a pair of lips met hers—this time more convincingly, and much warmer than ever. Bare, unmasked lips. Hands were suddenly everywhere, and all she could feel, all she could see...was him.

His mouth was hungry. Hot. Hard.

And she found she could do nothing but drown in it.

Without thinking, Sakura kissed him back. Her own hands moved, to feel his heated skin. To run all over his face, his hair...to fist there. Her breath hitched, and he took that as advantage to plunge his tongue in, and mold with hers.

"I missed you," Kakashi whispered, voice hoarse and urgent. "Kami, Sakura—you don't know how much I missed you."

"Kakashi..." she murmured into his mouth. The murmur turned into a moan, when his mouth suddenly trailed down on her jaw, his hand tilting it to get better access.

_I missed you, too._

_I love you._

_I need you_.

Ruthlessly, his hands moved—one to untie her back strings, and the other to glide under her skirt. Before she knew what was happening, the front of her dress was suddenly yanked down, exposing her breasts to the cold night air. Her nipples hardened, but not for long—suddenly his mouth was on one, his hand covering and kneading the other.

She didn't know that her own hands were moving, to remove the vest from him. She didn't know that her own hands were running all over his muscled chest, right under his shirt. She wasn't aware that her hands had drifted down, to unsnap his pants. To glide underneath his boxers.

Her hand wrapped around him, equally ruthless. His breathing stopped.

And she began to stroke.

"Sakura—" He choked out, shoving her hands away. She didn't budge, simply continued stroking. He gripped her wrist forcefully, sending her hands pinned to the wall above her head. Then one hand went down, lifting up her skirt. His finger traced her slit, eliciting a soft moan from her.

Then he slid his fingers inside.

Sakura's moan turned into a cry of pleasure, as white-hot flashes went straight into her vision, and into her body. He swallowed her moans with his mouth, continuing to assault her in the best possible way. Without thinking, Sakura moved, allowing his relentless fingers to touch her from within, rejoicing in the feeling.

_I miss you._

_I love you._

_I need you_.

He continued plunging with his fingers, touching every part of her very sensitive core. It was hard, and it was fast, and it went to become something that was more primal than ever. When his thumbs pushed into something far deeper than she could comprehend, a blazing heat ignited, wracking her body in an onslaught of sensations.

She exploded, alright.

She exploded all over his hand.

Closing her eyes, she let the orgasm take her to the high, making her feel as if she were floating, as if nothing else mattered. She felt him remove his hand, settle them on her waist. She felt him unpin her own hands, and she let them fall limply on her sides, before unthinkingly grabbing his shoulders. His body covered hers, igniting a thousand desires that she was sure she could only experience with him, no one but him.

Without further ado, he kissed her again.

Then he slowly, ever so slowly, sinked inside her.

It was gentler this time. Unlike the fast assault of his fingers, his throbbing length caressed her deep, but very, very slowly. He moved, and so did she—it was impossible not to. The white-hot flashes vanished, only to be replaced by a blurry of colors that had her going dizzy, and murmuring his name over and over again. She thought she heard him murmuring her name, too, but she couldn't be sure—not with the roaring of her blood in her ears.

Eventually, his movements became thrusts, and faster and more powerful as they went. She met him, thrust for thrust, not wanting to get left behind, not wanting to miss this. She wrapped her legs around him, almost going blind with the more intense reaction it provided. When they reached the brink, Sakura couldn't take it anymore—she cried out his name, as the shattering occurred. She exploded again. And again. And again.

This time, he exploded with her.

_I miss you._

_I love you._

_I need you_.

The orgasms came and went, came and went. It erupted, over and over again. Her heart burst, so much that she felt it would consume her with its multitude of emotions. She felt him kissing her again, then trailing down to nuzzle her neck, and bury his face there.

They stayed like that for a few moments, breaths harsh, bodies quivering.

Finally, she felt him leave her neck. She opened her eyes, and found him gazing at her with an intensity she couldn't figure out.

"I'm sorry, Sakura."

Or maybe there was just no point in trying to figure it out.

Her anger dissipated. The words stabbed at her mind, making a searing hole into her heart. The hurt came back, in full force. Trying to ignore the part of him still inside her (because it made her want, too much), the hands caressing her (because it made her tremble, oh-so-badly), Sakura did the only thing she knew was right, at the moment.

She pushed him away.

Then she tried to slap him.

"Sakura," he said, his one hand leaving her to stop the slap. His other hand was still on her skin, rubbing soft circles. But he stopped.

He stopped, when he suddenly saw the tears leaking out of her eyes.

_Don't cry, you idiot. Don't make him see weakness!_

Steeling herself, Sakura pushed him harder, wiping the little tears hastily. Without thinking, she desperately tried to arrange her dress back, to tie the strings, to straighten her skirt.

"Sakura—"

"This isn't going to work, isn't it? So please," she whispered over his words, her voice hollow. "Just leave me alone. Just go. Just go live your life and—"

—_forget about me._

Her voice wavered. "—and—forget—"

She was interrupted again, as his mouth met hers, in a softer and gentler kiss. Her breath hitched, and the tears started leaking again. His mouth was doing wonders to her own again, and she hated that she wanted it. Needed it. She hated that she was almost melting, when his thumbs reached up to brush the tears away.

"Sakura..." he murmured gently, cupping her face.

"Don't do this," she pleaded, trying very hard not to kiss him back. "You'll go to prison. Your life is better without me, and my life is better without you—"

He kissed her harder, effectively stopping her.

"I don't want you anymore, Sakura," he said, while placing kisses over her cheeks.

Another stab of hurt.

She tried to remain unemotional. "I know, you said it—"

"You don't understand," he rasped, more firmly. Sakura pushed him off again—this time he budged, and let go of the kiss. She pushed his hands off as well, a bit surprised when he relented. She instantly missed the warmth, and the tingles it gave her.

"What else is there to understand?" she snapped.

"Plenty."

Tired of everything, Sakura pushed again, effectively managing to get away from the wall. She turned, hugging herself, and began to silently walk away.

"I don't _just_ want you anymore, Sakura."

The words stopped her, made her frozen in place. She felt his presence walk near, and soon, felt him stand a few steps behind her. She didn't turn back around.

"I was a coward. A fucking coward."

She tried to keep her voice even. "You were doing what's best for both of us."

"Fuck that. That isn't what's best for us."

"It is—"

"I don't just want you, Sakura," he repeated, more firmly now. More huskily. Her heart raced, beyond her control.

Silence.

Then he spoke once more.

"I want us to have an affair."

_An...affair?_

_An affair._

_AN AFFAIR!!_

Shocked and hurt and a bit angry at the words, Sakura turned around, and faced him, glaring head-on.

The anger came back, in full force.

"An affair?! A freaking _affair?_"

"Not freaking. An affair is wonderf—"

"You stupid man! You say you want me, and then you say you want an _affair?_ Don't you even _think?_"

He stepped forward. "Sakura—"

"Don't _Sakura _me!" she snarled, hands fisting and ready to punch him if he ever got nearer. "I will not tolerate—"

"Of course you won't. It's getting irritating, you know—"

"First you manhandle me, then you prevent me from kissing anyone—"

"You're not allowed to kiss anyone!" he scowled, eyes darkening.

"—all because you want to have an _affair_ with me! You _baboon!_" She was suddenly hitting him, with all her might. He dodged, but he didn't back off. Instead, he took her wrists, and tried to keep her steady. "You egomaniac—"

"Sakura—"

She tried to yank away. "—selfish, good-for-nothing—"

"Sakura—"

"—sex-obsessed pervert—"

"Sakura!"

"—and I don't want to see you again! Now what more do you want?!" she asked furiously, giving him a determined shove.

He didn't budge. But he backed away, slowly.

There was a short, very short pause.

She was about to yell again, and scream her wrath like she deserved to—

"I want a lifetime affair."

She shut up.

In shock.

"A what?" she blurted out.

"A lifetime affair," he repeated.

It wasn't possible. He was being delusional. Toying with her. Playing with her feelings.

Kakashi sighed. "I guess I have to do this, don't I? This is really weird for me, but since you don't believe me..."

Sakura froze. She froze, when Kakashi, vest off, mask-less, pants and boxers _loose_, suddenly kneeled, on one knee. Suddenly put one hand in his half-discarded pants. Suddenly took out something, and held it out to her. He stood up, looking utterly serious. And annoyed.

And he suddenly uttered the words that made her heart. Race. Madly.

"Oh, screw the kneeling. Sakura...will you marry me?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**a/n: Fluff. Lemons. Laughs. It's all here. Hope you like it. Yes, Kakashi is proposing - rudely, i might add. And with his pants down.**

**Ha. Go figure.**

**More on the next chapter! (this one is either third or second to the last). Thanks for the support, guys. Love ya' all.**

**Review! :)**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23 - Epilogue

She was staring at him as if he had just grown three heads. Or four.

Or a multitude of them.

Five seconds.

She turned to stare at the thing he was holding in his hand, mouth agape. Her stance was frozen, so still that it was almost like looking at a statue. A flesh-like statue, with creamy skin, and flushed cheeks, and wide green eyes and soft lips and—

Ten seconds.

She _still_ kept on staring.

He began to grow very, very nervous.

"Sakura."

"You're—you're proposing to me," she finally spoke—or rather, more like blurted out.

With an inward sigh, Kakashi inclined his head, and gave her a small nod.

"Yes."

"In an alleyway."

"Yes."

"With your pants unzipped."

Surprised, Kakashi looked down. Damn. He had forgotten about the pants. As quick as lightning, he immediately pulled it up, and zipped it, before turning his attention back to her.

Yep. She was still staring.

"Yes," he mumbled—for lack of anything better to say.

She merely looked at him as if he were _crazy_.

Five seconds.

Then...

"Where's the ring?"

He was so taken aback, all he could do at the moment was stare back at her.

Five seconds.

"I'll buy you one. I'll buy you the most beautiful one there is."

She gazed at the item in his hand once more.

Then she gave him a very, very weirded-out look.

"Is that the special Icha-Icha edition?"

He smiled slightly. "Yes."

Her own mouth frowned. "And that's _all_ you're offering me?"

His smile faltered. "...the ring, too."

Her eyes narrowed. "That's _it?_"

Kakashi should have known it wouldn't be that easy.

"No, that's not just it."

He had never been one for saying what he felt—he was Kakashi, one of the greatest shinobi in the village. Great, because he was able to hide his emotions well. Great, because he was always, _always _putting his missions first, above anything else.

He was a damn wall, who no one dared penetrate. No one dared climb. Cross.

Sakura didn't do any of those things.

Instead, she pummeled her way right through it.

And slowly...she inched her way to the center of his heart.

Maybe the jealousy was the trigger. Or maybe it was the sex. Either way, Kakashi knew one thing now, something that he had been denying himself for so long now—something that would probably have never crossed his mind, or opened his being, had it not been for that one fateful morning, where he was hung over and she was oblivious. Where dreams had ensnared him, and he had woken up with the feel of her all around. One kiss.

One kiss was all it took.

Years of caring suddenly took on a whole different meaning.

"That's not just it," he repeated, stepping closer. Sakura eyed him warily, looking very, very vulnerable—gone was the defiance, along with the surprise and the shock. Her eyes darkened, lightened...darkened again.

He realized he never wanted to _not_ see those eyes ever again.

"I'm offering you my protection. And my care."

She opened her mouth in protest. He stepped closer. Tilted her chin.

"And my love, Sakura."

Her jaw trembled. Her mouth closed, then opened, then closed again, when his thumb traced it, and moved to her cheek. She closed her eyes—almost as if shutting out something.

"You left me," she whispered, her voice sounding so small. So hurt. His heart ached, and guilt immediately set in, telling him how stupid he'd been, how callous.

He'd been an idiot.

He'd been a damn idiot.

"I won't leave again," he simply said.

Slowly, Sakura opened her eyes, and gazed at him solemnly. "But the Council—your reputation—if this is just because you want fantastic sex—"

"I can have fantastic sex with anybody."

Her eyes fired up at that. "Well, fine!" she shot out, glaring at him almost murderously. "If you think you're such a catch, then go shove your ass—"

"But I don't want to. I want to have it only with you."

Her ranting stopped. The glare slowly faded.

It always was a wonder to him how her mood could shift from one to another so rapidly.

_So beautiful._

"I—Kakashi, I—you're—"

Firmly—impatiently—he tilted her chin again, and stared straight at her. "I love you, Sakura."

Her eyes once again softened.

"...you do?"

"Yes."

Silence.

"Kakashi?" Her mouth quirked.

"Yes?"

She was gonna say yes. She was gonna say yes, and end him this agony that he was feeling—agony from missing her touch, her sight, her simple _company_ too damn much. She was gonna—

"You are such a stupid baboon."

He stopped thinking. And the next thing he knew, a fist was suddenly inching towards his face. There was a flash of pain, a big whoosh of breath.

Haruno Sakura had punched him.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_And the next second...she was on him, and jumping him, and hugging him tight, and raining kisses all over his swollen face. He had fallen on his behind, in the damp, cold ground, with the beloved Icha-Icha crushed beneath him._

"_But you're my baboon," she murmured, kissing his cheek. His ear. His nose. His mouth. "And I love you, too, you big idiot."_

_He felt himself drowning, and slowly giving in. Taking hold._

_Holding on._

"_Kakashi?"_

_He kissed her back, long and sweet and hungry, and made her moan. "Yeah?"_

_More kissing. More touching._

"_...you smell."_

_She wrinkled her nose._

_He made it disappear, by kissing her harder._

_To hell with Icha-Icha._

_He had Haruno Sakura now._

_And she was much, much better._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Twenty-four hours later

Tsunade looked at the mission report that Kakashi had just submitted earlier in the morning. It was written in his usual scratchy, barely-able-to-be-read handwriting—nothing surprising there. The only surprising thing, probably, was the fact that he, Mr. Late-for-Everything, had actually managed to submit a report _early, _for the first time in his life.

And the fact that the last few statements on the so-called report were _not_ something the Hokage had been expecting.

_P.S. I will not be taking missions in a week. Or a month. It depends on the girl I'm planning to marry—you know how feisty your apprentice is when it comes to decision-making._

_P.P.S. It's not about the sex. So don't forbid her to marry me. If you do, I'll take all your sake away. And I'll elope with her in a faraway place._

_P.P.P.S. And you won't be named godmother to our babies if that happens._

Frowning (particularly at the sake part), the blond Sannin looked up from the report. She blinked, as if trying to process the information in. Slowly, she took out her last stock of sake, which had been hidden in a secret compartment (it was that time of the month for Shizune—which meant the girl was stricter than usual in monitoring Tsunade's alcohol intake) for quite a while now.

She sighed.

Then she smiled.

"About damn time that stupid genius figured it out."

Tsunade took a huge gulp of the drink, before her smile suddenly turned into a wide, gleeful grin.

_Oh, that stick-in-the-ass Council is so gonna get it._

She couldn't wait to throw this in their faces.

_I'm glad I am Hokage._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

One month later

"Mister Hatake? Your check-up is on now."

"Thank you."

With his precious orange book in his hand, Kakashi stood up from the waiting room, and silently headed for the examination room where he was instructed to proceed to.

Casually, he opened the door.

"Why, hello, Kakashi."

"Yo...Missus."

Green eyes narrowed.

"You know...that sounds _really_ irritating."

He shrugged. "It sounds cool."

Hands went to rest on hips, and the narrowed stare became a glare.

"Do you want me to punch you?"

Kakashi sighed, and scratched his head in defeat. "Fine. Sakura. Happy now?"

"Of course I am. Your lazy ass is mine now, isn't it?" The glare became a happy stare, and green eyes immediately twinkled. "And I don't plan on sharing."

Beaming at him, Sakura turned around, and began to prepare the examination table with as little fuss as possible. "Alright, Kakashi, I want you to sit down here and—"

Her little speech stopped, when she felt a pair of arms encircle her waist, and something warm and soft settling on her hair. In an instant, she was suddenly turned around, her back on the table.

The look on his now-bare face (and eyes) alone was enough to make her knees become almost like jelly. She tried giving him a stern look.

"Kakashi," she warned, "Whatever you're planning to do, stop it or—" Her voice faltered, when the soft and warm contact (turned out it was his lips) turned their attention to the side of her jaw, and started nipping there. "—or I will make sure you—" The nipping turned to licking. "—er, not be able—" Licking to downright kissing. "—I—I—you—" Kisses trailing down to her neck. "—I...Oh, _kami._"

Her thoughts flying out the window, Sakura yanked his hair up, and crashed her lips to his impatiently. He responded easily, and soon enough, she was pretty much out of breath, and he was already making her moan. Loudly.

She tried to tone down the moans, and yanked his hair again—this time away from her.

"Darn it, Kakashi!" she hissed through her heavy breathing, trying to glare at him. "We're in a hos—" She swatted his wandering hands away. "—pital!"

"So?" Those hands persisted, and started cupping her butt (one hand) and her breast (the other).

"What do you mean—" She tried to stifle another moan as said hands kneaded. "—so?? It's—" The thumb started sensually flicking a nipple, while the other started trailing down the skirt. "—highly unethical—" The thumb disappeared, her buttons suddenly getting undone. "—especially—" His palm started sliding up and down her thigh. "—on my—" He started rubbing through her panties—she arched into him, despite her protests. "—first day back on the job."

"This won't take long," he promised huskily.

Then his hand moved.

And in instant, there was a loud rip, as her underwear was suddenly pulled away.

Sakura's eyes widened.

"Hey! That was silk, you idio—"

He crushed his mouth on hers, hungrily.

Then he swiftly and surely entered her.

_Kyah! When did he unzip himself? Why didn't we see it? It's...oh...oh...Kakashi! Yes! Knead my breasts! You delicious man—oh, Kami! More! ...MORE!_

Inner Sakura's words became incoherent blabs and demands, before dying down, as Kakashi started the pace, and began moving against her. Her legs wrapped around his waist. His arms hoisted her higher, bumping her against the table again.

And the passion built. And built. And built. Higher. Higher. ­So, _so_ high. It was wonderful, and it was delicious, and it was so, _so _unbelievably good and—

CLICK.

—interrupted.

Quite abruptly, in fact.

"Oh, dear _hell._ I cannot believe I just walked in on _this._"

The noise had been soft—but it could have been an atomic bomb, from their reactions alone.

Kakashi froze, stopping his movements.

Sakura froze, at the sound of the oh-so-familiar voice.

Oh, hell.

From where the doorway was, a blond female stood, hands on hips and blue eyes very, very widened. And shocked. In a few seconds, shock turned into embarrassment.

But not as huge as the embarrassment of one pink-haired medic nin.

Sakura's cheeks reddened. Immediately, she started unwrapping her legs around him and pushing him away, quite desperately.

Naturally, he didn't budge (even when she subjected him to another one of her deadly glares). He kept her—and her legs—firmly in place.

"Hello, Ino," Kakashi mused easily.

Ino's embarrassment was fading, as she regarded them with a rather interested expression. She ended up smiling at Kakashi's back (which was facing her).

"Hello, Kakashi-san."

"Kakashi," he corrected.

She beamed. "Kakashi."

From her almost-hidden position, Sakura peeked over Kakashi's shoulder at her best friend, her cheeks still tinged pink. "Er, Ino, sorry about this. We were going to have a chat, weren't we? Just give me a second to—" Glaring at Kakashi again, she tried to budge. He didn't move. "—um, disentangle—" She tried pushing again, using strength this time. He stubbornly countered it with his own chakra. "—from—"

Suddenly Sakura stopped speaking, when something happened.

He moved, alright.

He moved _inside_ her.

She squeaked, as a particularly hot sensation came shooting up inside her. "Kami! I—"

He kept on moving.

"I—you—I—Ino—Kakashi—" His name came out in a moan, as her pupils nearly dilated at one particularly deliberate thrust. She clutched his shoulder in a hard grip.

"Ino?" Kakashi muttered, through gritted teeth.

Ino's widened eyes stared, a bit enthralled, at his moving, _really_ firm ass. "Er—yes?"

"Could you come back in twenty minutes?"

Ino rolled her eyes, and sighed. "Well, sure," she complained lightly. "Since everybody around here in the hospital seems to be in some sort of mating ritual. First I walk in on dog boy eagerly sending Hinata to pleasured oblivion, and then Sasuke making that Tina girl blush madly—not that anything was happening between them or anything, that could have been one-sided for all I knew, but still—and _then_ I walk in on you and—"

"Pig?"

"What, Forehead?"

"Go away."

Ino smirked. "Fine. And here I was thinking the honeymoon was over already!"

Sakura's answer was a long, loud moan.

"And make it an hour," Kakashi chimed in, turning his head to the side to show Ino half a profile (yes, a _very_ clear profile) of his slightly smiling face, and his half-closed eye.

Her blue eyes pretty much glazed over at the sight. "Er...sure. Urr...bye..."

Then, without further ado, she shut the door (more like stumbled hastily and dazedly through it)—deliberately locking it as she did so.

And the activities resumed inside.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_Naruto, Lee, Sai and Genma were happily (or greedily, in Naruto's case) eating ramen to their heart's content, when a certain blond walked in. She planted her feet on the ground, her hands fisted at her sides. She was breathing very, very heavily._

_They all turned to look at her._

_She only looked at one of them._

_"Naruto?"_

_Naruto regarded her in confusion. "Ino-chan?"_

_"I'm horny."_

_A bowl upturned, and someone choked (Genma) loudly. Naruto's eyes widened._

_"Wh_—_what?" he stuttered out, his cheeks reddening violently._

_"Really, _really _horny." Her voice was husky, and trembling. Her eyes depicted a certain kind of hunger in them._

_His own eyes practically bugged out of their sockets._

_"This is all your fault, by the way," she accused. "For kissing me like that. For making me feel things I shouldn't be feeling."_

_His own breathing became suddenly labored._

_"Ino-chan! You_—_I_—_You_—_"_

_She cut him off, by coming closer. "If you don't take me right now, I swear to Kami I will explode right here, right now, in front of all these people_—_"_

_Genma's ears perked up at that._

_"_—_and it isn't going to be pleasant because I have a really loud moan, and I'll probably be saying your name in a scream and_—_oofh!"_

_She didn't get to finish her sentence_—_because the next second, he was suddenly on her, kissing her quite madly, his one arm on her waist and his other hand _everywhere. _With a very loud poof (and a long, long moan from both Ino and Naruto), they both disappeared in a puff of purple and orange smoke._

_Leaving Genma with his mouth hanging wide open (his senbon falling off), and Lee with a certain light of youth in his eyes._

_And Sai beaming quite, quite happily._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

An hour later

And two earth-shattering orgasms after

"Sakura?"

"...yeah?"

He smirked, voice smug. "Tired?"

She gave out a huge sigh. "Shut. Up." She snuggled closer in his embrace.

He grinned. Sakura grimaced, before giving him a very contented smile.

They stayed in silence for a while, staring at the white, plain ceiling. Her eyes drifted, and came to rest at her finger he was softly rubbing—the one which had a very pretty diamond ring in it. She smiled wider at the memory.

-

_"Do you like rocks?"_

_Sakura scowled. "What kind of question is that? We're having sex in the_—_"_

_"Making love," he corrected._

_"_—_making love in the middle of the shower and you ask me if I like something from the ground_—_oh."_

_She stared at the beautiful ring he held out to her, glistening under the sprinkles of shower water (she had no idea where he whipped it out from, considering they were both very naked and their clothes were already discarded minutes ago in who-knows-where)._

_"Sometimes you need to learn to shut up, woman," he murmured._

_"And sometimes you need to learn how to proprose properly, idiot," she murmured back._

_He slipped the ring solemnly on her finger._

_"So...you like rocks?"_

_She smiled. Then she kissed him very, very sweetly._

_"I like rocks just fine."_

_-_

"You know," Kakashi said after a while, "I like Ino."

Sakura grimaced again. "You would. She likes you, too."

"Yeah."

Silence.

"Naruto does, too, by the way. Likes her, I mean."

Sakura smiled at that. "True. But they've been avoiding each other for weeks now."

"...so?"

She began to think about it.

"She wants to be happy," she murmured. "She deserves to be."

"Exactly."

His meaning came on, crystal clear. Slowly, a grin started showing on her flushed, glowing face. "Alright. I'll start with the matchmaking tonight."

"No, not tonight. Start tomorrow."

Green eyes gazed away from the ceiling, and into his curiously. "Why?"

His arm around her tightened. "Because we're going to dinner tonight. To discuss something."

"And what will this something be?"

He smirked. Smiled. Grinned.

"Baby-making."

The surprise almost had her choking. But, before she could say something, or do something, she was suddenly being flipped, until her back was on the examination table (filled with blankets now), and his naked (and very hot) form was hovering above her, his elbows at the sides of her face and his lips inches away from her own.

"What?" she whispered, after a muted delay.

"Let's make babies tonight, Hatake Sakura," he whispered back, before kissing her softly, gently. With so much love, and so much emotion.

Her heart melted. Her smile came, into the kiss.

"Okay."

And the one hour became two, as their lovemaking ensued once again.

_I love you._

_I need you._

_We're each other's now._

Maybe they should start making those babies now instead of tonight.

Yep.

That would suit her just fine.

THE END

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**a/n: Oh. My. God. I can't believe it's finally finished. I'm so sad (I had fun writing this!), and so happy (I actually finished my first multichaptered fic!) at the same time. Wow. I feel so...wow. Overwhelmed, I guess. In between my hectic and weird (and frustrating) school life, this is the one thing that's always made me smile.**

**Guys...I cannot thank you enough. You, _all_ of you,are _amazing_. Thank you. For the reviews, for the adds, for simply reading...thanks a lot for everything!**

**Happy reading on the epilogue. And finally...review! (since it's already the last! hehe.)**

**P.S. No, I am not stopping on the KakaSaku fics. I'll be writing another one, entitled _Slave Driver_, next (a KakaSakuSasu) (see my poll - it's the most voted pairing there. The voting is still open, by the way, in case you want a different pairing to be written). So...stay tuned for it! :)**

**LOVE YOU ALL!**


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